The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-10-27
PRINCIPLE AB0vEPARr

just now filling their columns
with quotations from the edi-
torials of THE CAUCASIAN
when it was trying to get the
reforms demanded and needed
by the people through the
Democratic party. Nearly
every one of their 40 speakers
are reading, quoting from
these editorials on the stump.
When We were writing and
publishing those editorials
many of these same papers and
speakers were either silent or
were abusing us, doing every
thing in their power to thwart
our efforts. They now praise
what we wrote, and say that
our efforts then were patriotic
and on the right line. They
did not say SO then. Ii they
had helped us then, we could
have reformed the party and
saved the necessity for the
present action. Yes, we did
advise the people to go into
the primaries, and the machine
element of the Democratic
party did everything in it's
power to keep them out, and
when they did go in they
were treated badly in many
places and were not fairly
represented in the State con-
vention. Not half of the re-
form sentiment of the State
was represented. But in spite
of that fact we still urged that
we would put up with and con-
tinue to fight for reform on
the same line. The Chicago
convention met and ignored
the demands made by the peo-
pie and offered no relief COM
mensurate with. the distress
and oppression Of the people.
They ignored the reforms of
the State platform. THE eau
CAsIAN promptly denounced
the Chicago platform, and en-
dorsed the Omaha platform
because it contained every re-
form demanded by the people.
We still urged that our people
should act'with the Democrat.
ic party in the State and the
Peoples party in the Nation
At the same time through the
columns of this paper we
warned the managers of the
Democratic party in the State
that they must not make the
Chicago platform and Grovel
Cleveland the test of a man'l
democracy. This warning wal
not needed, but they proceed
ed to apply the test. They
} took the position that a mar
, could not go into the primaries
J nor participate in the conven
tons for county and Legisla
tive Offices unless he endorsed
} the Chicago platform ant
/ would vote for Grover Cleve-
land. Here we drew the line
| We could no farther withou
repudiating the principles o
: reform that we believed il
, and had been advocating in .
> hundred editorials and speech
es. The supreme hour hat
come. We must decide be-
tween principle and party
We stepped out of the part.
SO that we could not only con
| tinue to advocate our princi.
pies but also vote for them
Thee was nothing left for u
r to do. When a party NJ
longer represents the princi-
pies you believe in it is you
duty to leave that party. [
it is your duty to leave it
when shall you leave it, thel
!, or at some future time! Yo1
!, should have the courage AM
, manhood to leave it immedi.
, ately. Now, when a man ha
! left a political party we kno,
of no moral law or politica
!. ethics which makes it his dut,
to vote for the nominees OF tn
9 party he has left, even thougl
4 they were nominated while b
! was in the party. 4 man VIII
goes into the primaries OF
party ought as a rule to sup
: port the nominees of that pal
49, - ho C$ouc IN fh