The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-12
Ulle Aerala ana Nelvs
X. Ii. AULL, EDITOR.
EVHDING THE ISSUE.


The action of the State Executive
Committee on the question propounded
by the Prohibitionists, it seems to us, is
M evasion and u failure to answer di-
rect question.
The question the committee was
called upon to answer was whether or
not under the constitution of the party
Lection Of the party could hold u con-
vention and suggest candidates for
Office and then have the votes of sucl.
candidates counted in the primary.
AS we have said before, the language
of the constitution is very clear. a
convention of Prohibition Democrats to
suggest candidates to be voted for in
the Democratic primary isl convention
OF q faction Of g. Democratic party.
Every candidate III the Democratic
primary is obliged to take Il pledge
that says, among other things, that he
is not II candidate Of any faction nor
will he become such. Tho PrOhibi-
t:onists wanted to know if that would
keep them from holding factional
convention and suggesting candidates.
If it does not it means nothing and
should not have been put In the pledge.
But listen at Il" answer Of the com
mittcc. Here it is:
"RcsOlvcd, That it is the sense tf
this committee that any Democrat, ,
however suggested, who complies with
the rules Of the Democratic party by
filing his pledge in the form required
by the constitution and rules Of the
party, Is entitled to run in the Demo-
cratic primary and to have the votes
cast for him countcd.'
He can go in if he takes the pledge.
OF course he can. That was known be-
fore. The question remains ununswer-
ed. If the candidate is suggested by
the Prohibition faction OF the Demo-
cratic party, can he tukc ih's pledge?
and in viow of it, even if he does, can
the votes cast for him be counted?
The arguments used by members Of
the committee did not touch the ques-
tion. They all seem to he politicians
and are afraid Of the strength Of the
Prohibition movement. They are afraid
the PrOhibitiOniSts are too strong, even
to give an Interpretation to plain and
simple provision of the Democratic
constitution. The question remains:
Can Democrat, suggested hy a faction,
comply with this rule aAd sign this
pledge without stnltifying himself?
lie can't do it. 1t was put in there to
avoid this very thing.
Understand us. We are not trying
to rule the Prohibitionists out Of the
primary. We are only discussing Il
plain provision Of the party law. We
think it Is bad To have factionul con
vcntions and factionul nominations.
We have been fighting this sort Of
thing since the March convention OF
$500, and our opinion has not changed
since then. There was really more en-
cusc for it then than there is now, for
then the primary was denied and now
we have free primary open to prohi-
b tiOniStS us well as other people. 1t
will lay down the gap for other fac
tloE"l nominations. The committee
nnce on the subject.
AS to prohibition and temperance we
agree with Col. Watson that it must be
matter Of education, and prohibtory
laws will not accomplish the ends
sought. Still wc are willing to see Il
clean cut issue, and if the people want
prohibition let them try it. But we
are satisfied it will prove failure.
The committee should have passed q
resolution something like this:
Resolved. Ma, il Is the sense of this
committee that candidates suggested
by convention Of Prohibitiouists
would be candidates of faction of the
Democratic party, and in view Of the
provisions Of the constitution of the
party against votes being counted for
candidates of Il faction, unless the Nav
State Convention changes the constitu-
tion, votes for such candidates in the
Democratic primary cannot be counted.
That would have been Il positive an
swer to the question submitted. AS it
is, the committcc simply evudes.
The May State Convention, however,
can change the constitution