The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-21
WHY THEY WITHDREW.
Address of the >traishtout Delegates.

Address of the >traishtout Delegates.
CoLUMH1A, August l5.-The address
of the Straightout delegates who With
drew from the state Convention Yes
terday morning was given to the press
to-day, and is as follows:
To the Democracy of Sonth Carolina:
We. the undersigned delegates from
the counties of Sumter, Beaufort, Rich
land, Charleston and Georgetown to
the Convention Of the Democratic
party which assembled III Columbia
on August l3, 1890, hereby announce
to our fellow Democrats the reasons
which compelled our withdrawal from
that body.
The Convention assembled under
the call of the State Executive Com
mittee. "for the sole and exclusive pur-
pose of determining whether delegates to
the State Nominating Convention to
be held on the 10th day of september,
or thereafter, should be elected by prl-
mary election, to be held on Il certain
day throughout the State, and for no
other purpose whatsoever"
The Convention, after It's organlZa-
ton, instead of transactlng the Dusl-
ness for which it had been summoned
proceeded to take action looking to the
adoption of a new constitution. i"r the
party in this State, making many I'M
portant changes in that instrument.
Against this action we made SUCH ar
rument as was possible III the limited
time allowed for debate by the ma
iority of the Convention. We pointed
out that under the general rules OF
party government, as laid down by SO
distinguished a parliamentarian as the
Hon. J. G.. Carlisle, late Speaker OF the
House of Representatives OF the Cnlted
States, when a convention IS called
for a special purpose, its authority IS
necessarily limited by the terms OF the
call ITSELF" that lit can have no gen
eral authority to bind the party by It's
action on an any other subject, Tor the
obvious reason that its members are
simply delegated to do Il particular
thing"
We pointed out that this general
rule as to party conventions was IN eA.
act accordance with the decisions OF
our State Courts in the analogous case
of the power of convention OF the
people called under an Act of the Leg
islature for specific purpose.
In the celebrated case OF McCrady VS.
Hunt, decided by the Court Of Appeals,
Judge O'Neall used the following lam
ruaSe: "a convention assembling
under the constitution is only the peo-
ple for the purposes for which 1t us
selnbles; and if they exceed those pur-
poses their act is void unless 1t Is SUD,
mitted to the people and affirmed
by them. II is true the Legislature
cannot limit the convention, but If the
people elect them for the purpose
of doing specific act or duty pointed
out by the Act Of the Legislature the
Act would devine their powers, for the
people elect in reference to that and
nothing else"
Judge David Johnson concurred in
this opinion, aud Chancellor harper,
in his opinion, uses these words: Ger
tainlv the Convention was not the peo-
pie for any other purpose than that Tor
which the people voted and delegateu
them. TO conclude that the people IN
tended to invest the Convention Win
their authority for any other purpose
than the purpose specified would be
plain usurpation of the power OF the
people"
We stated these views fully, and ap-
pealed with all the earncstness III our
bower to the majority, as fellow Demo
Gratis. not to force US into a position
where we would be compelled, IN view
of the limited authority conferred upon
US by our constituents, to refrain from
participation in the further proceedings
of the Convention.
Notwithstanding these appeals, usurp..
inc powers not delegated to them, and
in open violation of the law governing
the subject, the majority proceeded,
under the operation OF the previous
question, to take action upon the adop-
ton of anew constitution for the Demo-
cratic party of the State. We therefore
withdrew from the body, being un-
willing to allow the Democrats whom
we represented to be bound by its
further action or to be committed to
precedent so dangerous and illegal.
Signed by J u Blanding, J d Gra-
ham, w DScarborough, John ; Hugh,
son, Frank Mellett, w J Nerdler, w
+ Colcock, Henry D Elliott, Thomas
Talbird, Joseph S Reed, G \. Williams,
Thomas r Hayward, " 0 Prentiss, )
G. Haskell. \ \ Talley, W 81 BraWley,
K S Upper, J W Barnwell, W p
Stoney, & H Pauls, D A sullivan, } +
Redding, O a Johnson, ] AdgerSmiyth'
T f McGarey, w II DunEln, W u
u;peo, n p Si,innor F. & EaStelling
w H Gibbes, Jr, n G Gonzales, James
P Adams, Joseph Bates, Willie Jones,
J P Meehan, Richard Singleton, Leroy
f Youmans, w S Pope, W ? Bookter,'
f w McMaster, \ e Haskell, G Lamb
Buist, A r Smythe, NJ Horres, Il z
Barkley, John + Ficken, John NJ
KinlocE, J L Weber, e Fitzsimmonss,
+ Kressel, Jr, II l. p Bolger, b
Schachte, j H Perrine, NJ w Powers,
A H DuPre, J Harleston Read, h D
Munnerlyn, 5 S Dusenbury, Walter
Hazard.