The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-13
GOODE ONTHEUNITRUL
wp,rrsA LETTER or MUCH INTER
ESrON THE SUBJECT.
x,.o,n,a and the Position She should Take
at the state aud Nation
al Conventions.

nroposed adoption Of the unit o,-',,,or
The Democratic Convention az 80 ,hot |
In my opinion the aGopu"" Va en-, |
,rIe would not only be a departure llo,'
~ '.taIItsbod precedents, but danger
ono innovation upon long cherished pm
cinles. Not having the record before ~ |
| cannot speak with entire ace"i a. -, |
I am unable TO recall IL single o,caa'o"
mon which the unit rule mas W.
forced I'm Virginia. Heretofore "h,"
have met I'm convention TO dehDeia'V' ~
practice has been 10 give full anu lIce
EXPRESSION to the will OF al lhe b1i"'
| cratic voters IN the state. III thefe nas
been a difference Of opiinon among inc
! delegates from q single county. each pre-
| cinct OF that county has been peIlhi'l1'
| TO cast it's full Democratic vote. III mere
has been. difference OF OPINION u. "
| district delegation, each county OF t.o
| district has cast its full Democratic No'o
| without reference 10 the huihDcT Va wv
| gates present.
| Under the call recently issued by the
| National Committee. the Democrats OF
| Virginia are entitled TO appoint twenty
| four delegates TO the National 'ohNeh-
| ton at Chicago. four from the Statc-at-
| large and two from each congressional
district According 10 immemorial usage.
the four deegates-at-large will be elected
nv the convention itself and two dele
| rates will be elected by the representa-
| tives from each congressional district lh
| soparate meetings. The convention may
| very properly instruct the four delcfatca
Of IT'S choice. but I deny its lurlsnlc'iol
| over delegates in the district mceilhb.'
| The district delegates are elected 20
fleet the Will Of their immediate constr
| tuonts. They owe q representative hu'g
TO them alone As they are not eiecleu
bv the convention. the convention mas 10
| right TO instruct them. and cannot 40
So without an utter disregard or the
principle of minority representation.
-Four years ago ] had the honor 10 ne
chairman OF the Virginia delegation at
Chicago. and whdn the name OF our
state was called | announced that VIZ
cinia cast twelve votes for Grover tleNe-
land; eleven votes for David I. Hi. ana
one for Arthur =. German. And thus
the voice Of the Virginia Democracy was
as clearly pronounced at II could have
been if they had assembled en- masse
at Chicago. This IS representative Demo-
cracy, as / understand Il.
Mr.. jefferson. the founder Of the Demo-
cratic party declared that absolute ac-
quiescence IN the decisions Of the major
ity Is one OF the essential principles OF
government. | accept that doctrine 10
the fullest extent AMI without any rescr-
walton whatever. But how T. that ma
jority to be ascertaincd I'm the approach
| lliA NHll0ltl lteinNflEllt ANilNfillNll
Shall II be determined by suppressing
entirely the voice Of the minority in Nir-
ginia? If there are six delegates from
Virginia who agree with the delegates
from New York on the money question.
should not they be counted in ascertain
ing the will OF the majority Of the Demo-
cratic party In the country nj largc2
The only plausible argument in favor
Of the adoption Of the unit rule I'm Viz
init hot 4 a.
upon the action Of the recent Democratic
conventions I'm Pennsylvania and Aichi-
gan, but the fact that our brethren in
other States have fallen into error fur
nishos no justification 70 us 90 initiate
their example. The Democrats of Viz
l ginia have been accustomed TO lead. and
a not to follow, in the cnunciatiOn OF the
I fundamental and essential principles OF
representative government.
If my voice could DE heard IN the coun
70 ellis Of tho party at Chicago. 1 would
d favor the adoption Of the following plani
= on the money question:
ut is hereby declared 10 be the policy
of the Democratic party TO continue th,
= use of both gold and silver - standard
G money and to coin both gold ana silye
4 into money of equal intrinsic and eN
- changeable value. such equality TO De SCI
cured through international agreement
II will insure the maintenance Of the par.u
T. I'm value of the coins Of the two metals
and the equal power OF every dolla
at all times I'm the markets and IN tn
payment of debts.
IS "And IT is hereby further declared tina
l. the efforts of the Government should b
l. steadily directed TO the establishment %
a such a safe system Of bimetallism "a
fill maintain at all time. the equal poWe
IL of every dollar coined and issued by Oh
United States In the markets and in On
payment Of debts.'
This IS the language Of statute en-
acted by a Democratic Congress ana al
i proved 10y a Democratic President o
November /. 1898. 1t is substantial
90 the language of the Chicago platiou
n OF 1872. which was rcaiiirmed by On
y Democratic convention that assemble
e at the city of Richmond ia August loJ.
5 Upon that declaration we achieved
y great victory i'm the presidential clectl0
of 1892 and in the gubernatOrial electlo
{, of 1893.
n No matter what may be written In Ga
Is platform of the approaching convention &
the Democratic party upon the currenc
IL question, / expect 10 extend TO its nom
u nees cordial ana Jealous support
There are many questions of public pol
~ cy which will enter into the next pres
IT dental election, and upon which We din'
'e radically from The Republicans. II woul
J. be unwise TO ignore the fact that oil
Republican party in Virginia Is wen o'
- ganized and will make "a determined fgi
10 i'm the approaching campaign for supr'
= macy i'm our state. II on account OF on
II unfortunate discussions we shall lose Oh
- state in November. il may be difficult
!, regain it in the future. | submit. ther
- fore. that every consideration of duty,
. interest and of safety should constrai
~ us to avoid elimination and recrimini
- ton. to close mp orr ranks and 60 NOV
- forward I'm solid column to meet the Coz
test that aWnits us. Let MS have "unil
- I'm things that are necessary; liberty
=, things that are unnece ssarY. charity
81 all things" as YOU have well said 1t
go ''better to have divided delegation
- Chicago than a divided party IN Virginia
~ Very respectfully.
JOHN GOODE.
Norfolk Nirginian.
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81. Commencement Exercises