The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-20

|
 Editor The Advertiser:
 fair discuss:on sof all questions pre- | scented for consideration. whether or ie- | gal. religious, scientific or political con | cern. should in their respectVe Ioruuis' | be not only tolerated but invited DIS passionate argument is the weapon Of the | strong. and as to them. toleration for the | oninion of others. necessarily follows. Demaeoeues however frequently resort | to the weakly and contemptible one | of vituperation and abuse. reiIIorceo py I threats of ostraCism, ana consequent conAgnment to the political graveyard, etc Such mountcblnks either recognize l their own inflrmities or the weakness ot | their cause, tiff indeed Of sufiicient mentai calihre) or discount the intelligence or tne masses whom they only seek to sway. by appeals to fear. prejudice or passion. m | the discussion of the primary question. which has really assumed primary im- portance some of it's advocates, mot all by any means) have resorted to this lat | ter weapon, and thus in their silly Vapor- ings hope to dispel all serious oppos>- ton. TO -hese would-be statesmen, as little attention should be paid. as that usually given to the proverbial gnat who lights on the horns of the bull. or the | fly on the tawny mane of the majestic lion. While for many reasons tsome or which I have heretofore recently ex- pressed), I am at this time opposed to the 'State primary" idea and the dis placement thereby of the State Con- vention system, I am nevertheless. free to confess that the argument IS not all on one side. and that there are some ap- parently good grounds for an honest diff Terence of opinion. A dispassionate and temperate discussion uniniiuenced by per
 sonal motives or ambitions, is needed as
 the only means of arriving at wise ana
 proper solution. Not until recent iy have had the opportunity
 of investigating the prime question
 involved. viz. the authority of
 the State Executive Committee to make
 the radical change noW contemplated;
 nor has this investigation been entirely
 thorough, owing to the lack of data at
 my command. Certain general and well defined principles, however, must be re- cognized in this discussion. It will. thert-
 fore. no doubt be conceded that the FIX ecutive Committee is not only the crea- ture of the State Convention, but derives all of Its powers and authority there-
 from: and that this must be either ex-
 press1y or by necessary implication con
 ferred by the creating power. That the
 term "ExecutiVc as descriptive or such a committee. signifies. primn facic,
 body charged with the performance or executive functions, involving the car
 rying out the will of another or superior
 body as distinguished from powers of a
 legislative or Judicial nature: hence the
 investment of these latter powers cannot
 be presumed, and the exercise thereof
 when not thus conferred on the Execu
 
 rior power. Is unwarranted and sheer
 usurpation. fanother word for tyranny)
 The Committee, In other words. is the
 mere agent of the party. speaking by it's re representatives in convention assembled;
 and like any other agent to bind it's prin- ciple. 1t must have the power to act. The question. therefore. at once presents itself does this power exist and If SO. wherein and whereby. Is 1t conferred on the Committee to- change the basis of rerrt sentation In our party counsel! Tp- on those who insist that this power is given. rests the burden of establishing 1t. for no such authority can De pre- stunned.
 In the construction of any resolution of State Convention, whore construc ton is needed. we must look to the es- tahlished laws, usaees. and customs of the party then In existence, and the his tory of the times in which the resolu- ton was passed. Perhaps ever since it's organizations certainly ever since tho days of reconstruction, State conventions of the party have been held, composed of delegates selected by the various counties of the State. At one time. if I remember correctly, this basis of rep resentation was on the popular vote of the party as shown by a previous general election As times then were, this gave rise to frauds, whereby the vote was in- creased even beyond the real necessity for carrying the elections by a. safe ma jority,' and for the evident purpose of increasing the representation in the State Convention. To remedy this evil which was a fraud on the party itself the basis of representation on the population idea was finally adopted by a State Con vention. And to this day though many
 years have since passed, this plan has not been changed I regret my inability 10 set forth the resolution adopting the
 population basis. since it's terms may shed valuable light on the controversy. The mode and manner, however, of se- tt.. I.N11 IA.
 seems not 10 have been prescribed, hut left to the counties respectively, to de- termine. At any rate th asG delegates have for many years been selected on
 mixed primary and convention system:
 but the number of the delegates are de-
 termined or ascertained on the basis of
 population of the respective counties. I
 call attention to this method of select ing delegates to the Stat Convention for
 the purpose of an intelligent discussion
 of what is known as the "fompkins res
 olutions passed by our State Convention
 in 1892. Upon these resolutions presume
 the advocates of the State primary plan rely for their claim of authority in
 the committee. to adopt, The resolutions are as follows:
 Resolved, That 1t is the duty of the State Executive Committee to preserve the integrity of the party organiza tion. and to this end they shall have power and authority:
 First--To preserve the qualification Of voters at the primaries of tho party.
 Second-'ro prescribe such rules in re- spect to the primaries as will insure a fair and free expression of the will of every Democrat and give to each one his due and proper influence in the se- lection of delegates and candidates.
 Third-To consider, and if they deem wise. to petition the Legislature to pass laws regulating the primaries of the par ty and punishing any fraud or wrongful conduct therein.
 Fourth--To provide so that the prima-
 ries for the selection of delegates to State and Congressional conventions shall he held in every precinct on the same day.
 Fifth-That whenever any nominee of a regular Democratic Convention in this State shall refuse or fail to support the nominees of this Convention that all
 Democrats are absolved from supporting him. and that the Executive Committees of the several counties of this State in accord with this convention he and are hereby authorized to take such steps IS may be necessary to nominate others in lieu of those thus refusing. If a Com mitteeman refuses to support the nomln-a of the party then the Democrats of such county may reorganiZe upon the advice of the State Executive Committee after an application in writing, signed by not less than twenty Democrats ot such county. Tho State Executive Committee shall provide the mode and manner of effrctiny the reorganization: that whoever refuses to support the nominees of this Convention is not loyal member of this Democratic Party. and is not eligible to