Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-09-28
CORRESPONDENCE.
4 Trenchant EXPLANATION.


with the recent democratic comfy con-
vention.
| would have given YOU this. INV replv
thereto, for last week : issue, but for the
terrible calamity which suddenly fell
upon the country in the assassination of
the President. | deemed it improper at
that time to obrrude this matter upon
the attention of the public when much
weightier matters demanded attention.
If understand your editorial remarks
correctly. Won think | ought to have re-
manned i'll that convention and protested
in every ballot acainSt the .'iue0uitv and
in Justice of the unit rule adopted by
the convention.
Perhaps | ought, but beg to saw did
not then. and do not now think such was
NV duty. If | had remained | could
have done nothing more than | did in
the beginning repeat my objection to
and dcnunciation of the "incuuitv and
iniustice.'
When the report of the Committee on
Rules was submitted to the convention |
objected 20 the adoption OF that part of
il containing a Recommendation that the
unit rule be adopted, and moved to strike
it ont. | denounced the unit rule as un-
democratic. un-Amcrican, unjust and
unfair.
The convention, however. pretending
to represent the democrats of this coun-
tv, preferred to be governed by repub-
hcan rules, and refused to adopt nv
motion by considerable majority.
| beg to assure YOU and my fellow
citizens generally that | did not act
hastily in leaving that convention, |
never acted with more deliberation in
my life. | did not leave it, however,
until | was thoroughly convinced would
not be permitted to exercise my rights
as representative of the democrats of
the sixth election district, as | under
stood them. | believed tnen, and still
believe | was sent to that convention to
exercise equal rights with the other gen
tlemcn i'll the delegation.
The order of business adopted required
the candidate for sheriff to be nominated
first. | remained i'll the convention un-
til after the second ballot was taken for
the nomination of ii candidate for sheriff,
when | became perfectly satisfied |
would be denied the right to vote for the
nomination of such men as | thought
ought to be nominated by that conven-
ton.
| did not and could not vote on either
the first or second ballot for the nomi-
nation of candidate for sheriff, simply
because | did not believe either of the
two gentlemen voted for by my col
leagues was proper man to place on
our ticket. | believed then and believe
now that we have numbers of democrats
who would make much stronger candi-
dates than either of them. repeat
did not consider either of them, under
the circumstances, the strongest man we
could nominate.
After the second ballot was cast for
the nomination of candidate for sheriff,
said to my colleagues
"Now, gentlemen. You have had your
choice on two ballots, | would like to
have our district cast at least one ballot
for Mr. Eugle, of Frostburg I'd like
to have one ballot cast according to INV
Judgment. If you will not agree to give
Mr.. Engle the entire vote of the district,
permit me TO cast my just and equitable
proportion of the vote to which the dis
trict is entitled according to my own
Judgment"
Ny four colleagues, one of whom was
not sent there by the democrats of the
district, but was there on "a proxy. con-
suited and declined to cast the vote of the
district for Mr.. EnSle, or to permit me to
cast my rightful proportion of it accord
ing to nv Judgment. [ was morally
certain that one fifth of the democrats of
our district did not wish either of the
gentlemen, for whom my colleagues had
voted, nominated for sheriff | believed
Il ma iority of them were opposed to the
nomination of either of them, And vet
| was denied the right to represent those
democrats i'll that convention or to exer-
else my own Judgment in the selection
of candidates.
When | was thoroughly satisfied was
not to be permitted to exercise NV own
Judgment and vote for such nominations
as thought the democrats of the county
wanted, | concluded | could no longer
remain in that convention and preserve
my own self-respect. Therefore, 1 picked
up my hat, quietly walked out of the
and took no further part in
it; and, I'm not sorry for it vet.
Before left knew it would be utter
" futile for me to again protest against
the "inequity and injustice" perpetrated
upon all independent democrats bv that
in adopting the unit rule. |
felt nv colleagues would be sustained by
the convention, and thus additional
heaped upon me and those
knew | represented if | protested again.
After due deliberatiOn | concluded that
if | was simply to sit in that convention
like bump on log. denied NV rights
us a representative of the people. [ might
Just as well get out and assume none of
the responsibilities for the men nomi
t.. l, T