The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-15

nate deleEates from the State At ieree, and to adopt . platform upon wmM so and ,SH when sii sorts of reforms in cleo. ton methods was promised. not one w2ra was uttered looking to the caiifng ot general State primary. but pledges Mere made as to primary election % lsw vrsn so this primary question? I dare say tnere was. one being that those who really nad the good of the State at heart. wouIu not endorse it untn proper ana com puisory primary election law gould se adopted. Does any advocate of pri.. mary election believe for a moment that a general primary could nave Deen ol. dered under the conditions exastlns pr.o5 to the adoption of the new Constitution! If not so believing. how can they DOW conclude that the power to do so. M Mas actually conferred as far back es ieso' wathout, as now remember, 2. otssent- ing vote in the Convention? The state Executive Committee should not arrosate to itself any power which has not been clearly conferred upon 1t. and. nothing could do more to weaken the party than strikes home to my mind, the conven. tior when assembled. being composed overwhelmingly of Democrats. hxed pop ulation as the basis of representation to the Lesisature thus again , enqSsns nsn.ratic tac Party, The new Constitution lays the founda ton for permanent reform ot all the evils which have grown out or tne exercise of the elective ransnise .,ns ,,etsrs Ss z this class has been elinnfnated. ana when a proper and compulsory primary eiec- ton law can be enacted, we may ven. ture upon a change of present metnoG ?. would be fraught with great danger to the best welfare of the State, and do more to make the new Constitution un- popular than all the efforts Of Its oppo- nents combined have succeeded M ooang to this good hour.
 Discussing the question from the tniro point of view, I make the following sue, gestions: A white primary in which all white men can participate. irrespect're of present. past or future affiliations, is so absurd and ridiculous that l am ut- terly astounded and appalled, at the thought that any Democrat can pc Ioumo who would tolerate 1t for a momenr; 10 order a primary confined to white Dem. ocrats alone. would carry with It the great difficulty of defining who are Dem- ocrats. If the committee should say that no one should vote who had ever boIted and voted against Democratic nominees. it would result in barring out all former Populists and gold men who voted for Palmer and Buckncr: nree numbers of whom, for several elections by the Democratic Party. this could not even be thought of. much less done. on the other hand, If the committee say that only those shall vote who have sup ported the platforms and nominees cf comes the question as to what snail be done with those Democrats who have fought the Constitutional Convention from beginning to end.
 Surely no one can be found who would deny to them the right to vote in Dem ocratic primary. provided, of course, they were Democrats. This class of Demo- crats still denounce the new .Constitu- Al l<,11 . tV<N their purpose to destroy it in nearly every sense should they attain to power. On | the other hand. if the committee order | a State primary and adhere to its for pledge themselves hereafter to support | the principles and nominees of the party. l then a vast horde of those who have | never been Democrats. and who have nc
 intention of becoming so in future, save | for this one election, will flock to the l standard of the enemies of the new Con- | stitution. and result in confusion and demoralization. These are questions of grave importance. which should be con-
 Iv. and in spirit of fairness. Where is | the warrant for any paper saying, as l has often been said recently, in spirit 1 of intolerance, that any man who opposes | at this time. a State primary has sud, deriy become a Corrupt politician | standing fin the way of reform. and tha | in doing so he "digs his own politica | grave We are invited to discuss this | question but warned in advance that il we differ from those now loudly clamor l ing for this most radical change. that VI | will be roasted alive" and consigned for | ever to a grave, of political degradation | and oblivion. Is this the proper spirit | which should actuate brother Democrats | in the discussion of great question nkt | this. let us reason together in a friendly
 spirit. threats. denunciation and coerctor
 can never win with a free and enltshten I loI 64 A satfr men, life long bourbon Democrats. whose | every heart ti1rob is in unison with th'
 welfare of the party. who desire tht | right to be heard upon this question. ant
 than a mere Executive Committee. Il it fair, is it just to them to refuse thii
 hearing? Let the people in convention
 assembled settle this question. The Exec
 gag law. to these old true and tried vet 1 erans of Democracy. Another question l worthy of serious consideration, Wher
 a candidate for office is required to g
 out and canvass whole State, which | general primary would necessitate, his do
 ing. the expense would be enormousl,
 heavy. local requirements that so muel | should be paid before a candidates nam'
 should go on the ticket. might be yer,
 heavy. in a recent election one count!
 alone required $50. stxty-six counties a
 the nominal expense of s each, would
 amount 10 over $500. Many a worth. | poor man would be abSOiutely barred D. ! reason of his poverty of ever holding | State office in Alabama. God save Ill from a condition where the rich alon'
 can afford to aspire to office. Let another
 State Convention be callsd, with represen
 taton based upon population as hereto
 fore. and all these questions can be prop | erly gone into and considered in conven l tion. If the Democrats of Alabama wan
 a primary. the convention will order it No Democrat will question its authority
 to do so. all true Democrats will abide its decision, and unite to make it sue | cess. One more thought and 1 conclude The talk of bolting from the action oi
 the committee. should 1t adhere to tht | unbroken precedent of the party. should not deter the committee from doing what l ever it conceives to be right. A man wht | would make that his excuse for boltins
 is only seeking one, and will sooner ol | later find one. and go where his secret de l sires shall lead him, and that is, outsid, of the ranks of the Democratic Party.
 As a member of the State E,xecutiv, Committee I will be glad to hear, anC
 conscientiously consider. all argument.
 upon this question. John V. Smith
 Montgomery. April l2. 1902.
 Will Take Care of Him.
 A