Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1902-07-24
THE STATE CONVENTION.
The Editor of the Argus Views the
Great COnclaVe and Reviews
Its Work.

The Democratic State convention
that met in Greensboro on Wednes-
day was the greatest gathering of
North Carolina Democracy | have
ever witnessed, greatest in number
of attendance, greatest in response
bilities resting upon it, and greatest
in open, fearless fulflment of every
duty.
It is needless to discuss here the
personnel of the ticket named-the
Chief Justice, Hon. Walter Clark,
the two Associate justices, Hons. III.
6. Connor and Platt D. Walker, the
Corporation Commissioner, Mr.. T..
C. Beddingfield, and superintendent
of Public Instruction, Mr.. J. Y. JOY
ner. These men were selected be-
cause of their already Weil-canvassed
claims and recognized fitness for the
respective positions to which they
have been named, and any further
comment on them as candidates now
would be a useless waste of space in
these columns and the time of our
readers further than to say that
they will be triumphantly elected in
November next.
But it was in its fearless presenta-
ton of the platform and it's heroic
adherence to democratic principles
that the great convention sized up
tsfour square, to the requirements of
a great party worthy of the conf
dence and support of the people.
The principal controversies over
the platform were as to the plank
which read: ''We reaffirm our allie
glance to the Democratic party and
its policy as enunciated in the ma
tional platform''-the opposition re-
questing that it should read: "We
reaffirm our allegiance to the funda-
mental principles of the Democratic
party" But the convention, after a
full and free discussion of the matter,
decided by an overwhelming vote
that the national Democracy, with
its intelligence, patriotism and fdel-
ity to the best interests of all the
people, can be trusted to make a
platform, when it next conVenes, up
on which the North Carolina Democ-
racy can stand with absolute faith
and complete approval, and there
fore the above plank as presented by
the majority of the platform COM
mittee was adopted.
The next controversy was over the
proposed plank providing for State
primary for the selection Of q. S.
Senators, and after full and compre-
hensiVe discussion it was decided,
upon a roll-call vote of counties, by
a sweeping majority, to eliminate
this plank entirely from the plat
form. And, to my mind, this was
a the fulflment of prophecy in the
light Of one utterance in the splen-
did speech of Senator Simmons be-
fore the convention at its opening,
and proves that the Democracy of
the Old North State is as true to the
Constitution of the Republic as when
her Legislature adopted it in 1889.
1t was near the conclusion of his
great and masterful speech, when
every ear was alert upon his words,
that Senator Simmons said: ''The
Democratic party was born when the
nation was born. Ithas lived through
all the annals Of our history as a ma
ton, and will continue to live as
long as the Republic endures, be
cause it is the party of the people
and the Constitution And the ac-
ton of the convention on this much
mooted primary question sustained
the assertion of Senator Simmons.
AS an American citizen who re.
CARDS the Constitution as the highest
manifesto of organized government
as a North Carolinian who loves h
State and is proud of her traditions
and her people; as a Democrat O
abiding party fealty and conviction
of party integrity, l am profoundly
gratifed that my State, which wa
the last but one to adopt the Consti
tuition, has not been among the frs
to forsake it; for this idea of electin.
United States Senators by the popu
lar vote-by the primary system i
entirely unconstitutional, and shoult
it ever prevail-which God gran
may never be-then, indeed, viii