The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-01
The Responsibility Of the Committee.

The Responsibility Of the Committee.
The state democratic committee. which
meets in Atlanta next Saturday, will be
/ requested by free silverites 10 change the
f custom of holding two conventions in
+ presidential years. which has prevailed for
/ thirty years or more and TO call only
one convention. AS yet il is doubtful
whether OF not the committee will comply
with this request. Although the majority
Of the committee is composed of those who
favor the free coinage of silver. and for
that reason free silverites are hoping the
one-convention movement will be success
full there are reasons for thinking the
request viii not be granted. Among the
free silver coinage members Of the COM
mittee there are some level-headed men,
who viii hesitate to assist in making the
radical change that is proposed unless
they are thoroughly satisfied that it would
be for the best interests Of the party.
They are too conscientious to do anything
that might prove disastrous 10 the party
simply TO advance the interests of the
faction with which they are in harmony.
The first thing the committee will want
To know. in all probability. when it
meets, is this: Who are the promoters Of
the one convention scheme? The answer,
of course. viii be. the free silverites. The
committee will then want to know why
only free silverites are favoring the
scheme. The only answer that can be
made is that they think that they
would have a better chance to get con-
vcntion that would commit the demo-
cratic party to the free coinage Of silver
and secure a free silver coinage delega-
ton to the national democratic cOnven-
ton. 1t may be asked, also, why the free
silverltes would have a better chance to
commit the state democracy to silver, If
only one convention is held, than if two
conventions are called. The reason is,
that in choosing delegates to the state con-
vention more attention would be given
to the interests of candidates for state
house officers than to the silver question,
and as the governor, who is supposed to
be a candidate for reelection, and other
state house candidates. favor free silver
coinage, it would not be difficult matter
to get free silver delegates to the state
convention chosen on the ground that
they were friends of the governor or some
other state house officer who seeks a re-
election.
The state committee will hardly fail to
see, in fact, cannot help seeing. that the
one convention movement is in the interest
of the free coinage of silver, and not of
the party. as alleged by free silvertes.
We cannot see how state committee
composed of level-headed men, could be
led to adopt the one convention scheme by
so shallow a plea as that advanced by the
free silverites. They certainly ought not
to be, particularly as the calling of one
convention instead of two. would in all
probability bring about bitter feeling
between the two factions of the party and
might have the result of putting the state
democracy in a position antagonistic to
that Of the national democracy.
From whatever point of view the COM
mittee may look at it, only one reason for
CdllhB nut ole toiNclAtloh dppCdlo' anu
that is that 1t would give the free silverites
a greater chance for getting control of the
state convention, and, hence, of the state
democracy. Should such a reason be suf-
fcient to induce the state committee to
make the proposed change? The fact is
that there is no declaration in behalf Of
free silver coinage in either the state or the
national democratic platform. Can the
state committee afford to abandon a long
standing custom in behalf of something
which the democratic party has never yet
| approved?