Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-02-08
PARTY HARMONY.
A LEADING DEMOCRAT OUTLINES
"A PLAN
Which Tracks the Good old Way.
The People Are sovereign-Ex-
ecutive Committees Without
Authority to Make
Platforms.

a gentleman of statewide reputation
and Influence, who has contributed largly
to The trend of Democratic thought in
Texas contributes the following paper
on the subject Of Democratic unity in
Texas:
/. Let the state Democratic eXecu-
tive committee, at the proper time, Gull
on the people to hold county, district and
state conventions.
.. Let that committee recommend TO
| these conventions to recognize the right
| OF all voters to participate, who will
| pledge themselves to vote the Demo
cratic ticket, aud sustain the nominees
| of the party.
3. Tho state Democratic convention
| to formulate the political policy of the
| state government; and such principles
and policy ms 1t may determine to be
proper for the federal government.
u, We can thus obtain the judgment
| Of the united Democracy of the state ON
| all political questions.
D. An attempt 10 prescribe In ad-
vance the terms and principlca on
which the Democracy is to unite is for
! those So proposing TO usurp the rightfu
province of the Democratic voters OF tile
state and TO dictate 90 them the terms
on which they may be recognized as
| Democrats.
g. To assume that the policy of the
| Democracy Of the state Is TO be de
termned by the opinions Of members Of
congress, or by the president of the
United States, or 10y both united, would
be Tor the people, who are the govern
ing. power TO surrender that right TO
their servants, ard would violate our
theory of government, and lay the
foundation for a political oligarchy or
for despotsm. and would show that
ave not capable Of self government, or
worthy of political liberty,
Z. This plan would place every Demo-
crnt IN the state upgn a perfect equality,
would impose humiliation on none and
give all an equal chance IN determining
what policy and measure should be
adopted for our state.
y. lf 1t shall be said that there nre
| two organized bodies of Democrats In
the state, and that each should particle
| pate In any plan of union, there are two
| answers to this. One Is that there il
| no precedent for the regular organization
| to surrenderlor divide It's authority, and
| That il has no right or power 10 do so.
| lhe other Is that any attempt AT a dual
| organization would be fruitful of Difficult
| ties and strife at every step. and would
| Keep constantly alive the causes of former
division, while IL would be- more likely 10
separate those elements wider apart than
to bring them into harmonious cO-operl-
| ton. The attempt al such dual action
would most likely prove TO be an utter
| failure.
0. The calling of the convention is a
| merely formal act. Neither of the two
| existing state committees. nor both Of
them together. can Impose any binding
| terms or conditions on the Democracy of
| the state.
10 If one part of tile Democracy Of The
| state should attempt TO impose terms
upon another part, and make a cOmpli-
| ancc with such terms prerequisite to
| IL - Of "a.
| fairness and injustice was Intended, and
| that compliance should be refused
| IL, There can be no d0ubt that when
| the state Democratic convention shall be
assembled 1t will, as ull past state con-
yentons have done. indorse the national
Democratic platform. And any assump-
| ton that such action IL to result from
the agreement Of factions Is both unjust
and offensive, because predicated on q
false assumptiOn
II. Greatly as union OF all Demo-
| Gratis should be desired IL that union Is
TO he secured by violation Of the fun
damenta PRINCIPLES OF democracy the
| cause of good government would be- In
| iurcl instead Of being benefited by It..
~. And IL there are irreconcllable diff
ferenccs of opinion on great political
| questions, whether relating 10 state or
federal policy, between persons claiming
| TO be Democrats. It would neither be
manly. honest nor wise for such a union
TO be made.
"A. The uniform practice in this state
has been to make the vote for governor
the basis for the appointment of dele
gates TO conventions, Ii Is ,ontended
that tho division among Dem ,crats at
| tho last election would make II ineunita-
be toiadopt that rule for fixing the num-
her Of delegates this year, | see no oh
lection 10 adopting the vote Cor governor
IN 1870 when the Democracy was unit
ed But u Il Is more satisfactory to
others TO adopt the Democratic vote for
pr,vilent In 1872 rs the basis for the
appointment Of delegates it would be bet
ter to do that than make It point Of
contention.
II Mir. Ma,loek AMI his associates viii
d. unite with the regular Democracy and
help to formulate a platform of princi-
pies, and 10 nominate candidates who
will support them, no question Of regu-
lanW should be inierposed, and they
should stand upon an equality In all re-
spects vi.h an other Democrats.
II they viii not agree 10 such q course
then thev should be reminded;
1 That Il Is now assumed by the men
who left the last Democratic state cor
vention and made another organization
that they ,ihl 20 because the convention
ic plntform. That this assumption is
wholly untruo Those who SO assume
for,ei that these men and their ornan 1
as soon as the urinary meetings OF tho
Democracy and the appointment hv them
Of delegates disclosed the fact that they
We're IN the minority. aud would not be
able 10 control thc action Of the conven-
ers for holi from the convention.
They forget that they left ;he convention
because they could mot control ~ organ
| isallon By mob which had been called