Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-09-28
CORRESPONDENTS.


with the recent democratic county CON
vcutiOn.
| would have given you this, my reply
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 obtrude this matter upon
the attention of the public when much
weightier matters demanded attention
If understand your editorial remarks
correctly, you think | ought to have re-
manned i'll that convention and protested
in every ballot against the ''inequity and
injustice of the unit rule adopted by
the convention
Perhaps | ought. but [ beg to say did
not then, and do not now think such was
my duty. If | had remained | could
have done nothing more than | did in
the beginning repeat my objection to
and dCnunciatiOn of the ''inCquity and
injustice"
When the report of the Committee on
Rules was submitted to the convention |
objected 20 the adoption OF that part of
II containing Il recommendation that the
unit rule be adopted, and moved to strike
it out. | denounced the unit rule as I'M
democratic, un-Amcrican, unjust and
unfair.
The convention, however. pretending
to represent the democrats of this coun-
ty, preferred to be governed by repub-
hcan rules, and refused to adopt my
motion by considerable majority.
| beg to assure you and my fellow
citizens generally that | did not act
hastily i'll leaving that convention. |
never acted with more deliberation in
Efn T -
until was thoroughly convinced | would
not be permitted to exercise my rights
as representative of the democrats of
the sixth election district, as I under
stood them. I believed tncn and still
believe l 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 Il candidate for sheriff, simply
because | did not believe either of the
two gentlemen voted for by my col
leagues was II 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 Il candidate for sheriff,
| said to my colleagues
Nov, 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 my
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"
My four colleagues, one of whom was
not sent there by the democrats of the
district, but was there Oh proxy, con-
suited and declined to cast the vote of the
district for Mr.. Engle, or to permit me to
cast my rightful proportion of it accord
ing TO my 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 jOrity of them We're opposed to the
nomination of either of them. And yet
| was denied the right to represent those
democrats i'll that convention OF to eXer-
else my own judgment i'll the selection
of candidates.
When | was thoroughly satisfied was
not to be permitted to exercise my own
Judgment and vote for such nominations
as | thought the democrats of the county
wanted, concluded | could no longer
remain i'll that convention and preserve
my own self-respect. Therefore, picked
up my hat, quietly walked out of the
convention, and took no further part i'll
it; and, I'm not sorry for it yet.
Before | left knew it would be utter
ly futile for me to again protest against
the ''inequity and injustice" perpetrated
upon all independent democrats by that
convention in adopting the unit rule |
felt my colleagues would be sustained by
the convention, and thus additional
humiliation heaped upon me and those |
knew | represented if protested again
After due deliberatiOn | concluded that
if was simply to sit i'll that convention
like a bump on il log, denied my rights
us il representative of the people, [ might
just us well get out and assume none of
the responsibilities for the men nomi-
mated. 1t was more humiliation than
cared to submit to for the slight honor of
being known as il member of that body.
| Was advocating democratic principles
and voting for democratic candidates at
the polls before any of my colleagues,
and many of the delegates i'll that con-
ventiOn had taken off their Swaddling
clothes. | have contended all my life
against the enemies of the democratic
party and its principles, inside and out
side the party, and I'm not going TO stop
doing so at this late day. 1t was the
first time i'll my life that | was ever
denied the right to vote i'll convention
according to my own judgment by peo-
pie calling themselves democrats. An
individual has the unquestiOned legal
right to vote at the polls as he wishes
why should he be deprived of that right
in IL democratic convention? Ii would
not be accurate to call this government
of the people by the people if part of
the people are denied the right to partici-
pate i'll the government. So with
political convention. NOcOnventiOn can
truthfully be said to be ii democratic
convention if any of the members there
of are denied their rights therein. If the
democratic party stands for anything it
is for the iHdjrid"m rights of the citizen.