The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1900-05-23
THE STATE COMMITTEES AC.
TON.

The action of the State Democratic !
Executive Committee in caliinga State
primary to elect delegates to
the National Democratic Convention
and to nominate candidates for Pres
idential electors, continues to be the
topic of discussion in
the State press and among all classes
who take an interest in party politics.
1t looks now as il the committees &C
ton in the premises, unless rescinded,
will rend the party in twain. The
Democratic press is almost unanimous
in its outspoken condemnation of the
step taken, and several members of the
committee itself, whose proxies we're
obtained and used to accomplish the OBJ
jectionable results, without any intima-
tion to them of what was contemplated,
are also up in arms.
Before seeing the full proceedings
of the committee and endeavoring to
harmonic its action with the primary
election law, under authority of which
the committee professed to act, THE
LEADER was inclined to endorse what
was done, because we favor the prin-
ciple and policy of majority primary
elections. But an examination of the
primary election law shows that the
committee flagrantly and shamelessly
disregarded the plain provisions of
the very law under which it professed
to act, in at least three vital points.
For this reason, if for no other, its or
der should be repudiated by the party
generally, unless bare-faced usurpa
ton of authority and the example of
running rough-shod over State law are
to become recognized and established
Democratic party tenet.
The objections to the peoples bow
ing to the committees illegal man
date have been tersely summarized by
another as follows:
First-It stands out prominently
without precedent in this State or any
other of the States of this government.
Second 1t entails a needless ex-
pense for which the committee has
failed to provide.
Third 1t isa violation of law and
perpetuates the life and functions of
the committee itself.
Fourth-It debars the Democratic
party of Mississippi from proclaiming
it's opinion and faith ON all national
questions.
Fifth-The delegates elected will not
be bound by any enunciations of prin-
ciples in the name and by the author
ity of the State Democracy, and may
cast their votes in convention accord
ing to their own sweet will.
Sixth-It is not believed that there
is Democrat in the State who will be
fool enough to announce himself as an
alternate delegate, and that much of
the order will, in that event, be nuga
tory.
Seventh-The action of the commit
tee may result in having a divided and
inharmonious delegation in the ma
tional convention.
Other reasons are given in condem-
nation of the committees action, but
these are deemed sufficient to author
ize the demand for undoing it's work.
The county executive committees
Washington, Sunflower, Alfalfa, Mont
gomery, Lowndes, Lee, Adams and
other counties have met and protested
against the policy adopted by the State
committee, and the protests are daily
increasing.
Since the above was written, so gen
eral has the opposition become that
Gov Longino has felt called upon to
write letter to Hon. G. c. Miller,
chairman of the Democratic State
Executive committee, urging him to
call the committee together for the
purpose of resembling the resolution
adopted at the meeting on the Both of
April ordering plurality primary to
select delegates to the national con-
vention. The governors letter states
that sentiment among the people of
the State is strongly opposed to pri-
mary for the filling of purely honorary
positions, and predicts that if the order
is not rescinded the party will be dis
rupted and possibly two delegations
will go to Kansas City. The State
committee is composed of twenty one
members, and nine of these have ex-
pressed themselves in favor of holding
another meeting to provide for party
convention. 1t will require two more
to form the majority necessary to issue
a call over the chairman's head.