The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-08-26
Friday August 2e, 1904.
LATITUDE IN PARTY MATTERS.

The Watts law being a democratic
measure n one Of the principles OF
the party platform, the man who de-
clares that he will not support this
law nor support those who favor IT,
has no right to participate in a dem-I
ocratic primary. 1t is just as well toI
max party lines plain in this partic-I
ular.-Greenville Reflector.
Go slow brother. If you were to read
out of the party every man who has
heretofore been affiliating with it but
who does not endorse every plank of
the platform, you would not havel
enough men left in it to form a COM
mittee to notify the successful candi.I
dates before a state convention of his
nomination
We do not mean to uphold those who
advocate the repeal OF the Watts law
nor to criticise those who insist on Its
remaining on the statute books. That
is Tot the question in point at all. But
we wish to sound a note of warnins
tc the extremists on both sides. the
Watts law was enacted by a democratic
legislature n its principles have been
endorsed by the democratic party in
ats state convention
Opposition to nominating for the leg
islature by a democratic county con-
vention of a man pledged to vote for
the repeal of this law and the reading
out of the party of any man who does
not approve of the terms of this bill are
two very different things. But even
If the majority of the democrats of any
county wish to be represented in the
legislature by a mar who is opposed
to this bill they are entitled to the priv
ilege and right under democratic prin>I
ciples. to nominate and elect such al
man. and the balance of the democrats
OF the state have no T ght to question:
their democracy.
There never was a time when the
democrats of this country or of our
state were agreed upon all matters set
forth in the national or state platformsl
of the party.
From the very nature of the compo-
sition of our party wide latitude of
opinion on important party tenets must
be allowed or we woul have no party.
Suppose the national party had I'M
dertaken back in the 70s to rule out
all men who believe in high tariff where
would have been that staunch demo-
crat and devoted friend of the south.
Hon Samuel J. Randall? Had the dem
ocratic party of the state excluded from
further participation in party matters
ali members of the legislature of 1877
who did not abide by the caucus action
in choosing Hon. z. B. Vance as its can
didate for senator. where would have
been the seventeen democratic members
OF that body who bolted the democratic
aucus and, joining forces with the re-
publicans elected Hon. a. G.. Merrimon
as senator over the peerless Vance?
Suppose you eliminate from the demo-
cratic party in this state today those
men who do not endorse the declara.'
tons Of the ST. Louis convention on
the tariff. those who obpect to it's utter
silence on the money question and those
who are opposed to its utterances On
the foreign policy of the government,
what per cent. of hat party would pe
left to vote for Judge Parker n Hon
r.. B. Glenn?
You can not draw party lines so
straight OF crack the party whip so close
to the ears of the men composing the
democratic party as o can with those
in the republican ranks. for there is
by far more divergence of views, ever.
on important issues. among the mon
composing the democratic party than
among those in the republican ranks.
We do not suppose there ever was
before in the history Of our country
such a party as the present democrats.
especially at the south. In this section
it was forced into existence by the ar
!, bitrary action of the republican party
leaders in control of the government
at h close of the. war between the
states and during reconstruction days.
Its origin at the south was the neces.
sity of united opposition from forme,
democrats, wings, k~nownothings and ali
other decent white men of our section.
against the negroes, the carpet-baggers
and the scallawags placed in power by
a party which d~isfranchised thou.
sands upon thousands of~the best men