Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-07-10
FAIRNESS DEMANDED.
LEXINGTON, Mo July 8, 1886.

1dlILNb6S DhmhNDhD
LEXINGTON, Mo July 8, 1886.
EDITOR DEMocRAT:-AlthOugh mis-
represented in regard to my action as a
member of the democratic committee
of the sixth judicial circuit of Missouri,
and unjustly criticised in the columns
of your paper, [ have hitherto kept
silence out of regard to the harmony of
our party. Now, the same considera.
ton, joined to a respect for honesty
and fair dealing, constrains me to speak
out. l choose your paper as b proper
e Of communication for the reason
tina: it has been used for the purpose of
creating the false impressions OF which
l complain and also to defend the pro-
posed act of uhfairness and chicanery
which | wish to expose. | apply to
you with confidence, for it cannot be
supposed that after having been so
Jealous on the one hand you will refuse
the other side q chance to make its
statement before the same readers
Yon have repeatedly stated, In effect,
that primary elections were not demo-
cratic methods Of making nominations.
As q few facts d~isproving that state
ment | cite the action of the party in
this congressional district, and also the
action OF our party in two of the
counties in this circuit, which make all
of their nominations by that method,
and I suppose the democracy Lafayette
aud Saline counties will not be ques-
toned even in Pettis. Many other
similar cases might be mentioned, but
this is sufficient. 1t is, in fact, a true
method of expressing the will Of the
democracy, and eliminates from a can
vass tor the nomination all tricks and
trades SO common in conventions, and
by which the weaker man is sc
often preferred over the stronger
one. In a nomination for q
judicial Office of as great Importance
as the one under consideration, surely
| all questionable means should be
avoided, and in voting for a primary
| election for that purpose | was moved
by the consideration, that such d
method would free the nomination
from all danger of trickery and intrigue,
and place the candidates Oh their
merits before the people of the party
to whose decision all democrats
would bow in submission; and beside.
that such method was sactioned by the
practice of two out of three OF the
counties containing largely over two
| thirds OF the democratic voters of the
circuit. 1t gave every candidate a fair
| chance before the people of his party,
and it gave every democrat a fair
chance to express his preference. This
is all the defense l choose to offer for
my action, and, simple statement as it
is, it seems to me to be a complete
answer to all criticism and q rebuke to
the critics.
wish now to speak of q matter of
far more importance THAI mere personal
grievance. 1t is a question of fair
dealing and honest methods as we'll as
party discipline, and which, if not at
tended to, may be the occasion OF
serious party disturbance. | believe that
the Pettis county democracy is more
interested than either Saline or Lafay-
cite. We have q majority so great that
we have no fear of small dissensions,
but in Pettis every democrat is needed,
and the dissatisfaction of q few demo-
Gratis only, may lose the democracy of
Pettis their whole local ticket. The
question is: first, whether the mana
gers of the canvass of n man will
persist in insisting upon the unfair
action hereinafter complained Of; and
secondly, whether they will be allowed
to do so to the danger of the whole
local ticket.
This is the matter complained of,
viz: While the call for q primary cleo
ton was still the law for making the
nomination for Circuit Judge, and
while the friends of the candidates in
the other counties were expecting the
nomination to be made in that manner,
and indeed had no right to anticipate
any other action, the Pettis county
convention, instigated by the friends
of the candidate for Circuit Judge
from Pettls county. selected DEL
egates to represent Pettis county
in a convention that then only existed
In their im%aginatlons and had them in
structed for their friend. This action
was clearly illegal, and no tair-minded
man can deny that such action under
the circumstances was most unfair to
the other candidates for the nomination
to that Office, and it smacks too much OF
trickery ever to be- countenanced in
connection with q high judicial Office,
and more especially does it take on that
flavor connection with the action OF the
circuit committee changing the method
OF making the nomination., and still
more emphatieally does it manifest it.
self in the determination of the chair
man of the county committee of Pettis
to ignore the action of the circuit CON-
mittee calling on the county committees
to make such arrangements for the
selection of delegates to the circuit
convention as they may deem best, and
insist upon the delegation chosen under
the circumstances named, being re-
ceived as the delegates of Pettis coun'
ty. By every legal rule the delegates
chosen under the circumstances | have
stated would not be entitled to a sea-
in the convention. Every considera'
ton of party discipline, of party policy
aud fair dealing between men, calls fol
a selection of delegates under the cal.
OF the committee so that all candidates
may have their claims considered BY
the democracy OF Pettis, and not tina
the vote of Pettis should be brought uI
to the convention under the m~anipula'
tons of a few bosses.
Those persons who expect to nominate
q candidate by such means as complain
ed of will find but poor encouragement
in a convention of fair-minded demo.
Gratis, Respectfully,
WILLIAM YOUNG,
Chairman Democratic Committee 6tl
Judicial Circuit of Missouri.
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