The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-05-03
SOME QUESTIONS OF HONOR.

MR.. Sr0aG many poll
I'll 'ians and partisan leaders are
now engaged in discussing ques-
tions of honor. They say it is
dishonorable to go into Democratic
primaries and not agree to be pledged
to support the Democratic nominees
from constable up. At the same time
they say that if the Third party "
gets control of the Democratic party,
they will vote the radical ticket" be-
fore they will support its nominees.
They are attempting to brighten off
ignorant and sensitive men from the
CONVENTION and primaries with tests
which they do not intend to apply to
themselves. In the midst of all this
pledging and attempting to pledge, the
extreme partisan will reserve to him
self the precious privilege of kicking
against any plank that does not suit
him. He will say such a plank is
"undemocratic." He is smart enough
to get an excuse with a high sounding
name for any failure of support on his
part. The railroad attorneys will re-
tire in a body from the convention if
the transportation plank of the St..
Louis platform shall be adopted. They
will retire over the corpses of a thou
sand pledges of support. They will
carry out with them the very element
which is now trying to pledge the Ali
ance Democrats. Especial y will they
carry out that portion of the partisan
press which is "owned or controlled"
by the railroads. Without undertak-
ing to argue the merits of the trans
pOrtation plank now, l wish to observe
that l think / know several newspa-
pers under the control" or "Owner-
ship" of the railroads fully as com
plete as the country ought ever to have
of the railroads themselves.
! have been astOnished and ashamed
that any reform Democrat should sup
pose that any men or committee had a
right to rule him out of the conventions
and primaries of his party. 1t is the
most arrogant assumption that was
ever heard of, especially when it is not
sincere, because the petty would be
autocrat always claims the privilege
of determining for himself what is
democratic. AS soon as anything ap-
pears to be undemOcratic, 4 e., as soon
as any plank is put in which does not
suit him or his masters, he has adver-
tised openly that he proposes to leave
the convention. The railroad attorney
(which may be. an honorable position)
and the railroad attorney editor, which
is always dishOnorable, can honOrably
leave the convention as 500 as the in
terests of his mas .er is attacked; and
they have already made an excuse to
anticipate such an action They will
call it ''undemocratic." But the re
form Democrat must be pledged before
hand to support the nominees of the
party, no matter what platform these
nominees stand on. He must give up
silver and financi II reform and every
thing he holds dear if and whenever
the platform Of his party convention
declares against them. He must not
be allowed to say then that the plat
form is undemOCratic! fOrOOth it is the
platform of his party convention which
he Is bound to support because he went
into a primary or convention.
Shame upon such inconsistency OF
~insincerity. You ask one Of these
petty bosses that propose to pledge you
beforehand to what he concieveS to be
democracy, if he will pledge himself
under all contingencies to support the
nominees of the conventions If this
fellow goes to the convention and finds
out the reform element is in the ma
jOrity he will Immediately salve his
SOA4SClOL4SO OS CdJ NIX VIC 4ulIu party
has got control" Every one OF these
fellows who are always talking about
the dishonor of not supporting the
nominees of our convention if you
have taken part in the primaries, has
himself drawn the line somewhere, and
you will find, if you question him. thai
his mind is made up that if this line is
crossed, you may count him out of it.
Tho onnnnInG of rnfnrno horyn found OI,%
that we understand that thousands of
voters vote the ticket on account of the
party name. We are going to take ad
vantage of the party name for purposes
of reform and we will inject some
principles into the stomachs of the
name-wOrshippers. w. J. PEELE.
P. 81 want to PROFOUND one more
question of honor: Is it honorable for
the State Convention to pass a plat
form representing the sentiment of
North Carolina and then 90 to Chicago
and take it back either by adopting a
platform or nominating a candidate
adverse to it? w. J. P
I'd P. S:-Remember, party proper
ly constituted is nothing but an
instrument for registering the PEG
pies will. When it ceases to
do this, it's organization must he
changed, The peoples maiorirv of
this State have some well-defined views
on certain issues, and there are widely
variant from any it is possible to adont
at Chicago. Still the machine POLITICIANS
wish us to stultify ourselves first bv
adopting only a milk and water Mai
form at the State Convention. and if
they fail to get us to do that, then thew
wish US to send delegates to Chicagoto
ADOPT such a platform for us.
w 7 2