Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-06-19
ICOMMUNICATEDl

of Chapel district are disposed to crit.
lcise rue tor having given Mr.. kown-
STAR my proxy to represent me in the
recent meeting of the democratic ex-
ecutive committee of the county, |
will be greatly obliged if you will
give me sufficient space to state what
l did and why did it.
A day or two before was about to
leave home for ten days Mr.. Gold,
the chairman, came to my office to see
me IN reference to calling meeting
OF the executive committee for June
LIST. urged HIM not TO call it for
that day as L would be from home at
that time and asked him to fix June
9th rs the day; AS he did not comply
with my request l either had to let
my district go without representation
SO tar as L was concerned, or had to
get some one to act for me. Strictly
speaking, had no right TO give my
proxy to anyone, as an agent cannot
appoint an agent to act for him; but
as 1t has been customary for - long
time for members of the State and
| 0OhONAobAO OACOubANC
tees to appoint proxies to act for
them, when they cannot be present at
any particular meeting of their re-
spectlve committees, without regard
to where the proxies lived in the State
or county, l gave my proxy to Mr..
hownslar, without an intimation
from him that he would like to have
1t. In my opinion the important
question was and is, what will the
proxy do, and not where be lives.
Consequently, SIS Mr.. Kownslar prom
ised to do all in his power to carry
out my views, which stated to him
very fully, considered the interests
Of the democrats of my district would
be protected. did not know of any
one Ia my district who would agree
to attend the meeting of the commit
tee, and act as l requested, aud in the
short time at my disposal | could not
60 through the district looking for
some one. | am, however, creditably
Informed that MIR. Kownslar compli-
ed with his promise to me to the let
ter; therefore | am responsible for all
he did, aud no unkind criticism of
him would be fair. La my opinion,
the members of the democratic com
mlttee should not use their position
| for or against the interest of any can
dldate seeking democratic nomina-
ton, and as l never intended to take
any part in the campaign, and did
not do anything beyond casting my
own vote for Montague, the fact that
kownslar wac for Montague did not
influence me In giving him my proxy,
as l had some time before expressed
my views openly without any consul
tatlon with any candidate, the friends
of any candidate or without knowing
what any candidate or his friends
wished. stated publicly that was
opposed to so many elections, and
that as my people had instructed me
never to vote for anything but dis
trlct meetings, was In favor of a
primary election with every precinct
open all day to elect at the same time
delegates to the gubernatorial con-
ventlon and TO "a convention to nomI-
nate a candidate for the Legislature
from Clarke and Warren. AS II
thought the people were quite as cap
oble of voting directly for the candi-
dates for Governor, Lieutenant Gov
ernor and Attorney General as any
uninstructed delegates would be to
vote for them IN the convention, and
as | considered it was due the voter
to provide him such a ticket as would
enable him to cast his vote for the
democratic candidate of his choice,
without having to look up unin-
structed delegates to know what they
would do when they got to the con-
vention. | was IN favor of ticket
with the names Of every candidate on
| 1t or If the delegates were named on
the ticket 1t should appear plainly
who they were for.
AS have heard considerable crit
lclsm of late, that the chairman of
the committee had exceeded his au-
thority, and as have been asked by
democratic voters in my district why |
did not oppose certain things, !
which has been done by the CHAIR
man alone, and which / had no
chance to vote on because the COM
mittee had not been consulted, |
thought it would be fairer to the
people, the chairman and the other
mbers of the committee for his
duties to be defined, and to meet
that view drew the following reso-
luton, before leaving home: Gre
tOlved, that it is the sense of this
committee that its chairman has no
authority to take any step looking to-
wards the nomination of candidate
for any Office, for which the demo
Gratis make nominations in the coun-
ties of Clarke and Warren or to pre-
pare in any way for democratic
campaign in said counties, until he
shall have received instruction from
his committee In meeting assembled;
it is the intention of this resolution