Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-03
\ QUESTION OF PARTY ETHICS.

The writer of the following letter
puts query to THE GAZETTE that il
, will endeavOr to answer:
Is it Democratic to have members OF a
| Democratic convention pledge themselves.
| Internationally, to support whoever may be
| nominated For instance | attend and par
| ticipate in z Democratic convention, nomi-
| nations are called. the name of = is Su@-
| gested, and, Notwithstanding a protest and
negative votes, he is nominated, and l am
| fully satisfied that it was the work of trick
| cry, and that the party is imposed upon
| does Democracy compel me to shut my eyes
! upon my own convictions and aid the i'm
| position upon my party by voting for that
| mans election! Or, in such case, if |
| thought the country would be better served
| by the election of some other man of
| arOwed different political faith from that
! Of myself, does Democracy compel me to
| vote against my personal choice and feel
| ing2 \ DEMOCRAT.
The Democratic party does not COM
pei any man to do thing at variance
with his conscience.
A political organization composed Of
more than five million voters, as the
Democratic party is, must contain in
represent every shade of belief and
thought. Yet they are all united in
agreeing upon the general principles Of
the Democratic creed, because that
creed comes nearer to satisfying all of
them than any other creed. The party
believes in tariff for revenue only,
yet there are many Of the members,
such men as the late Samuel J. Ran
dali, who dissent from that part OF the
creed. Nevertheless, Samuel J. Ran
dali was a loyal Democrat, and voted
and worked for the candidate
Of the party whose platform
pledged him TO tariff for revenue
only. The party favors free and I'M
limited coinage Of silver. Grover
Cleveland is undoubtedly good Demo
crat, but he opposes the free and I'M
limited coinage of silver. Both these
men are nearer to the Republican party
than to the Democratic party on these
two questions, out the other guiding
principles OF Democracy are in accord
with their belief, and they were and are
Democrats, in spite Of the fact that as
Democrats they were bound to support
some things that they could not think
was best for the country. This is
sacrifice Of individual preference for
the sake of the general welfare.
But the Democratic party does not
compel man to stultify himself. If
principles are adopted that he cannot
honor, or if a candidate is nominated
whom he cannot support, he can with
draw from the party. When he goes
into convention, and participates in
the work of nominating candidates. he
gives an implied pledge that he will
support the nominee. If he cannot give
this pledge, he owes it to himself and
to his party to withdraw. To admit
any other rule would be to reud the
party to pieces. In every contest some
body must be beaten. If the friends OF
the defeated candidates are then free to
withhold their support from the sue
cessful contestants, the party is always
doomed to defeat. We cannot all rule,
or have things our own way, and to
bolt" because We can't is destructive.
The man who cannot give pledge to
abide by the action Of convention,
should keep out of the convention.
But does not every citizen owe a
duty to his country-the duty OF taking
part in political contests and striving
to have the best men put into official sta
tons? And If be stays out OF the con-
ventions because he fears the best men
will not be nominated, and he cannot
pledge himself to vote for men who are
not the best, does he not by this action
turn over the management OF politics
to the worst class? Well those are two
questions that might be embarrassing
if we were to look at them from only
that side. The other side is to be con-
sidered. In what way is a be tier quail
flied to Judge OF the value OF men than
B? And if majority of the partici-
pants in q convention nominate BIS
candidate, the weight Of evidence in
his favor as against AS candidate
should have some force. In a word, the
majority should rule. Maiorities