The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-10
THE CoMMrrrEE MUST DECIDE.

mittee Of Alabama will meet TO discuss
and pass upon the most important Dues
tion that has confronted the Party in
years. except the matter of calling and
adopting new Constitution. The cues
tion, In brief is. whether we shall have a
State Convention, with all its injustice,
unfairness and not infrequent failure to
Democratic primary, in which every
Democrat legally authorized to vote may
voice his true sentiments with the assur-
ance that his vote will be respected.
The Advertiser has all along favored
strict Democratic primary. Any
change or insinuation that this paper has
at any time favored a wide open primary
Is made through inexcusable lack of
observation or. through willful misrepre-
sentation. We know that the latter has
been done in some cases. but the sources
have not been such as to deserve notice.
The further insinuation or statement
that The Advertiser and Ex-Governor
Johnston occupy the same position Is so
utterly false that 1t is really ridiculous.
Such statements, however. proceeding
from the sources they have, have deceiv-
ed no one who wanted to know the
truth.
The Johnston plan is that every man
who claims to be a Democrat now, or
who claims that he was a Democrat In
the past. or who promises to be Demo-
crat in the future, may take part in the
primary and assist in the selection of
candidates for Democrats to vote for in
November. OF course Johnston wants 1t
because by such a plan he first succeeded
in 1896 The plan is impolitic. ilIogi-
cal and thoroughly undemocratic. 1t
contemplates a mongrel organization
which cannot find a name to fit 1t. 1t
puts premium on treachery. hypocrisy
and double dealing. 1t makes Democrats
for the time being of all who choose to
put on, however loosely. the cloak of
Democracy. 1t is a scheme to promote
discord, dissatisfaction and disruption.
The object of such a demand, and the
end which it is designed to attain are
palpable. The road they are marking
out is so plain that 1.-The wayfaring man,
though a fool, need not err therein"
That road leads inevitably to a dissatis-
fled and disrupted party, or all indica-
tions are false.
The Committee is twice on record
against persisting in such loose Party
methods. In 1900 1t passed resolutions
putting up the bars, and declaring that
no man should be considered Demo-
crat after the August election that year
If he did not vote the State and county
tickets at that time. In January 1901 it
enforced this ruling by declaring that
those persons in Lee County who had
not lived up to it should not take part in
the Constitutional Convention prima-
ries.
The Advertiser never has and never Will
advocate loose and illogical political
methods. The candidates selected by
primary must stand forth as the can
didates of the Democracy. Democrats
win be expected to vote for them, but they
would be very shy of candidates nomi-
mated by Popuhsts, Republicans and all
other shades of politics. 1t is absurd
on the face of it, and we can find no
| single valid argument in its favor.
Let us have a Democratic primary, in
fact as well as in name. The vote for
Sanford would be a fair test. We know
of no better basis, or one more likely
to bring out the Democratic strength.
He was a Democrat in all that the word
implies, the nominee of a Democratic
convention, and a vote for him would be
fair test in a primary.
The matter Is now in the hands of the
State Committee. They represent and
act for the Democracy of Alabama. They
can provide for Democratic primary
which will be endorsed by all Democrats
who have the best interests of the Party
at heart, or they can order primary
which will be pleasing to the enemies of
Democratic unity and harmony and in the
interests of the dissatisfied, ambitious and
INSCRIPTIONS politicians. Let us have
a Democratic primary.