The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-08-26

lludl luc pcoplS OF his county are aS a
whole for George l. Morton. than the
county executive committee has A right
to certify to this convention that Mr..
Northrop or Mr.. Fennell, opponents of
Mr.. Stedman, had received the unani-
nous vote Of the county. I regret, as
deeply as any man. the introduction Of
this controversy / would have yielded
to every inclination n would not ave
made this fight. / do not think the
office is worth the trouble / have had
for the several days past But / in
tend, so long n so far as my voice is
to De heard. that there shall be in con-
MENTIONS a full representation of the
sentiment OF the community as ex-
lpressed at the polls. / am not asking
that in the senatorial convention, which
shall nominate the senator, even a frac-
ton of q vote cast in the primary for
Mr.. Morton shall be given to me. 1 am
here asking only what he admits is the
vote as cast shall be so received in
that convention I would not ask this
convention to take the position he is
asking you to take. 1t is asking of you
to take the votes cast for me and
them for him. In the name of justice,
l ask you is that in keeping with your
party rule?
Il say to you upon your decision to-
day there may rest results far more
detrimental to your party than you Ear
now foresee. l ask only what the peo-
pie have accorded to me. / ask for
nothing more. 1 deny that the demo-
lcratic executive committee of the coun-
Ity car deny me what the people nave
given me. While you may arbitrarily
least your votes in favor of the denial
lof my rights, l warn you that the
wound you may Inflict upon the demo-
I~cratic party may be longer in healing
THAN you suppose. If devotion to party
principle is to be met in conventions
with the sitting Of party votes, why
have your conventions? Why have your
Iparty rules? 1 stand here today ask
ing a right which the party plan of or
I~ganiZation accords to me. 1 stand here
Iasking what the democratic voters of
the county have accorded to me; and
L would stand here, under different cir
Icumstances, asking that the vote of
1.-THE minority should be cast for my op-
lponent in the senatorial convention. I
am not saying this as an after-thought;
l said it to Mr.. Morton In my office be-
fore the primary: L said it. as sworn to
by these gentlemen, before the demo-
cratic executive committee of the coun-
ty, before the primary.
Il feel today that if you gentlemen
Will diVest yourselves of that PARTISAN
ship which this controversy may have
le~ngendered, that if you will consider
this claim fairly and without regard to
your personal feelings, there is not a
imam in this convention who can rise up
and say my demand is not fair and
just, or that what / ask should not be
accorded me. I say accorded me-; no,
not me. 1t is a right that should be
accorded the minority,-a hearing that
should be accorded to 1.029 men. who
voted for me.
What would you gentlemen think of
the superior court sitting here with a
command upon it to certify up to the
supreme court the record in a case,
and what would you think of the Judge
who coolly and arbitrarily suppresses
the facts and does not let the record
as made go up to the supreme court?
What think you of such a course? Is
the case different? The law commands
you to certify this vote. Can you, in
Justice, suppress that part of it which
belongs to me? That is the issue. 1t
is not a question between Mr.. Morton
and myself.
You gentlemen may act as you see
fit. 1 trust that you may be guided,
not in a spirit of partisanship, not in
a spirit Of personal preference. but in
a spirit of obedience to the mandates
of the law that creates our existence
today, n in a spirit of the democratic
principle which is universal through
NhS oAAd " oPllll vi oil ICSS dilu
justice"
That was a stirring speech too.
wasn't it?
Notwithstanding this argument, then
presented, Mr.. Davis by his vote, Mr..
Morton by his contest, MIR. Stedman
and Major Bernard by their influence
with delegates, established the dan
lgeroUs precedent" and time vindicates
osition and records the convers-
ion, let us hope disinterested CONVEX
sion, of these gentlemen, who have
turned up as advocates of minority
representation.
This is not written in a spirit of re-
jOicing over any mans defeat; but to
check. if possible. the establishment of
these dangerous precedentS,'' for,
Chickens will come home to roCst,"
and we ought to well prop the roost in
advance of even tide. less the game
cock of the pit may have ito go way
back and sit down" And it is but jus
tice to say as far as Congressman
.Bellamy is concerned. he took no part
in 1900 in establishing hat dangerous
precedent" from the top roost of which
his political confreres nave u]npropped
and dropped his shanghai.
IREDELL MEARES.