The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-08-22

>lne firth shslF .rossons i6r w,lhdr&wins
f3M. .the Conventlcn, IA plSin, sIsnplo state-
IS. .s.' sssst q = : ~ ysrds sAs Z couysn.
4 !slss eeussivsd nat de peopls had NO,
,SEg<9 sss~ WITH doins---had not elected
5at 4 may bo mixed who IL 10 dstsrsnIne
4 !h,s lhA - The address quotes Senator
&er1isles thaH Nhom there Is no ADLER pafl'.
Mlenearfan, profoundev thinker nor more sx-
{ HgfLeooed Democrat In the land. rs saying
hen : Convcotion y called for special
foepoee, its qithorlty ~ NEE serlly limited
"A Convention assenbl l1sict HI G|cn-
stitution Is cay the people for tie purpose
for which Il assemblies. Ssi
II Is true the Lsgislatnrs cannot limit the
Convention, but IL :.s people elect them for
) the purpose Of doing specific act or duty
pointed out by the Act OF the Legislature
tho Act would define their powers; for the
people elect in reference to that and nothing
clse.',
So In the same case Chancellor Harper's
To conclude that the people intended 90
invest the Convention with their authority
Tor any other purpose but the purpose speci-
hed would be plain usurpatiou of the power
OF the people,
II win be seen that the opinion of the
great parliameniariau Of to-day was on all
yours with the opinions of two Of ihe
greatest Judges who cverset on any American
bench. Let us see if We can get the very
Keynote Of all these opinions. Is Il not Ia
tllc underlying principle incarnatsd1d 3
our Coustitp pkiops--F Federal or ST
tho people flone are sovereign, -
part with this sovereignty or the ex b
thereof. so far only as their consent d
Hs9ce It there be a lin1ie or qualifcati3h to
the Qnsef(f that limit pr qualification boz
rs outside sa 8 & ssioa aHe or 'ausini 9aslis.
c3$il. GO 2ent ;ea eatside of the con-
Judge Q; Nsall cisd{iy puts il: Though
l1hs Act Of a Legislaturc a itself cannot limit
lxhe powcss of tbeconv6 6n{i.n, the election of
Ne peopf undet aoxf fatraioing Act accepts
tho rcstrsints Of and hence defines
she powers II cnslssx " the Convention;
} that for a convea,iofi5to % 90 beyond the speci-
petion Of the q eople.
y. Nothing can nothing more
complete Itis e. so(efsisnty Of The peo.
pie itself that binds Convention to the
specified purposes of its call
Now, substituting the members Of party
for the people, we see the whole power Of
the party rests iu the individual members
thereof. Aud when they choose delegates
uuder csll for specified purpose il is the
specified purpose under which they act and
accept as their own limitation aud quali6ct-
ton which restrains the chosen Con vention,
md not the mere CT eature or instrument for
msking the call, whether Il be q legislature
or an executive committee.
Agaius, ell thi, VIC see the Charleston
World quo es the opinion of the late Gen.
James Cooner and alsD that of the latc Can't.
+. w. Dawson. We shall cont ent ourselves
with quoting the opinion of Gen. Conner, as
II is quite evident the opinion of the brilliant
editor would hardly DC acoeptc on ques.
lion of law. @
General Conner is quoted us saying:
'Some of the Counties had acted one
way and some another, and il was ALSO ute
ly necessary that there shph:d be decision
and determination of the question, and who
Is to decide itf Is it nov this Convsutiop,
which Is the Democratic paty Of tlG St,tc
of, f,S,uth Carolina? Can the cal Il firth
9y$fff711 <ffpti ys i,p,aait,aa I'D .rineda !
by : bthcr juigmeotth th IN by the jkd Bmsnt
OF tho Dem ,oratic purity in Convention az
ssmhled ?"
With the greatest respect for the deee ,sed
Il will be admitted by oil that his opinions
would hardly weigh with those of ONeall
and Harper or those of John q. Carlisle.
But il will be seen afcr al that the oasc
Gen. Conner was dealing with was an en-
tirsly different one from that before us. As
he said, some Of the Counties had Instructed
one way and some another, and IL was neccs-
srry 10 determine what course was to be
pur.ued under these discrepant instructions.
In the present case all have acted under one
qualifying call for Cow ention, limited by
the call to specified purpose, and ihere
were no instructions from the pc ople below
invading that purpose Of limitation. But
upon first principles we cannot agree to the
opinion attributed to Gen. Conner, that. the
Convention is the Democratic party of South
Carolina. The people of tho party, and
they one are the party, ani any other
d ctrine is unsound in law and undemo-
cratic In principle.
Nor with Senator Carlisle's opinion before
us and the doctrine Of our courts as TO the
power Of Conventions, can we accept de-
cision of n Convention against the power
vested in it by the people or beyond that
power as conclusive and binding In such
c.se there is nothing binding on the pee
pie and nothing binding on any portion of
them. Any other doctrine leads to political
usurpation Of the peoples own inalienable
rights. And these rights no less appertain
to q minority than mejority 1t is quite a
different thing as to how far it is wise and
proper for minority of a Convention to sub
mit under protest, to what it feels convinced
10 be unauthorized. for the sake of the good
Of the party and that of society C5iumJia
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