The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-09-02
ADVANCE SHEETS FROM
THE DEMOCRATIC HANDBOOK
The .independent' Scheme III North 1a'o''''a -
Clearly Presented to the People.
RIAzE TURNED ON THE REPUBLICAN DEAL

place out Of five. The work started IN
Bv the endorsement Of Judge Hill, an IN
dependent.
Then they wanted to endorse our noml-
nces for Judge OF the Supreme Court,
Judge Conner and Mr.. Walker. This vas
ordered by Senator Pritchard and was
about to be done, when Colonel skinner
remembered that when he was a Pop
in 1894, the Pops endorsed Judge Conner
for this same office, and that Judge Con
Eor refused their endorsement. 50 he
asked Senator Pritchard what he thought
the effect would be if Messrs. Conner and
Walker should decline the Republican
endorsement. This question surprised
Senator PritchaYd. 1t never occurred to
him that Il man could decline an office.
GIe had never been a Democrat like
Skinner He was gravely disturbed. and
changed tae order. Instead OF endorsing
Messrs. Conner and Walker, no one was
nominated against them and their names
will DC printed on the Republican ticket
and voted. This went.
Then he ordered the convention to en-
dorse Mr.. Jcyner for Superintendent of
Public Instruction. But some one sug-
gested that this would leave the itepub-
licans but one man, Dr.. Abbott, on their
ticket. They begged for two men, and
finally Pritchard agreed that they might
Tut up one, provided they selected enc
who had been a Democrat and who had
spent a good part of his life out OF the
State, and had not much of a record in
North Carolina. Upon these terms the
convention nominated somebody named
Long.
SO the result of the convention was
the nomination of one independent. and
of two Republicans, with two vacancies
on the ticket to be filled hereafter by
the Republican Executive Committee.
Then the convention denounced boss rule
and declared that the Democratic party
was ring-ridden. 1t went further, and
in the hope of making the independents
more comfortable, they ran all Of the
negroes out Of the convention, and, after
dwelling with the brothers in black for
nearly forty years. they declared in saw
age tones that they didn't like a Niger,
no how" This is the Republican attitude
shall be deluded into believing that the
Republican party is in favor of freedom
of thought. 1t never has been and never
can be SO long as it takes orders from
its leaders as it did in Greensboro. Can
any one imagine the Democratic party
taking orders from any one? Such an
idea is preposterous. The first suspicion
that any man had assumed the power to
issue orders to the Democratic party
would be the signal for that mans I'M
doing.
The Democratic party is now the party
which encourages the widest liberty Of
thought and discussion. 1t is not pro-
scriptive; it is not hide-bound. 1t vouches
to its members the largest freedom of
opinion and it permits on all non-essen-
tials a striking diversity of opinion. This
year it has nominated men who repre-
sent every diverse school of opinion in
the party. 1t has nominated men who
differ on the currency question, on the
Philippine question, and on many others.
1t has nominal for the General As
sembly men who thought the impeachad
Judges We're guilty, and men who gave
them the benefit of a doubt. On the es-
scntial principles of Democracy the party
expects unity; on the non~essentials it
permits a freedom Of opinion and of ac-
ton which no other party in this tate
ever dreamed of permitting This has
always been so. Before the adoption of
the amendment the danger of negro dom
ination was omnipresent and overWhelm-
ing. All other questions We're made in
! significant by this danger. And Demo-
; Gratis did not discuss other questions when
this danger Was imminent. 1t has now
in q large measure passed away eff we
can believe the Republicans). and Demo-
Gratis have begun to discuss other mat
1 ters within the party, with Il freedom
/ which must be amazing to the Republic
r cans and Populists. At the last Demo-
cratic State Convention at Greensboro the
platform, presented by the on
\ Platform. was discussed for several
hours. The committee was sustained on
. q close vote upon one plank, and very
n decidedly beaten on another plank. Nc
q one ever heard of q North Carolina Re
= publican bold enough to antagonize the
p platform presented by the committee in
q a Republican convention. The Demo
n cratic party wants the fullest discussion
o and the freest action on the part of all
= Of its members. The plan OF organization
g guarantees this; and it even guarantees
, a hearing and representation to the mi
O norlty. 1t only asks that Democrats
make their fight within their own ranks.
Let them fight as hard as they please
= over candidates and platform and when
the decision is made, then the minority
3 acquiesce in the judgment Of the party.
No man can render the State a service
as an INDEPENDENT, as valuable as the
service he can render as the member OF
= n political organization. Without a DO
= ltical organization d man can seldom
, accomplish much. Within the party a
man can always accomplish some good
often he can accomplish q great deal
: Every man should affiliate with some
, political party: and there is not now
and for years to come it is not probable
that there Will be, but one party to which
( q good citizen ought to belong. That par
ty is the Democratic party.
y The Republican party will fail to gain
: 9nVtbiDO from itc clnorf of tho 80 :,
n Independent movement. The scheme i
| too transparent. 1t is nothing but a
y repetition of history. In 1873 they back
ed independents and lost. In 1882 they
backed another movement and lost. That
year they called it Liberalism. In 1894
u and 1886 they assisted independents and
IN the latter year carried a few coun-
. ties. but lost the State by a large ma
1 jority. Afterwards they went into the