The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-04

| CIVIC oSCOlupilSI SbliG Soou, oAANh
he can accomplish great deal. Every
man should affiliate with some poll
| teal party; and there is not now, and
| Tor years to come it is not probable
! that there Will be, but one party 20
which a good citizen ought to belong.
That party is the Democratic party.
How Republican Candidates arc Sc
lected.
The Republican State convention
| held this year in Greensboro was
shining example of boss rule" The
/ name of the candidate for Governor
was really unknown to nine-tenths of
/ the delegates present. Not a nominee
| OF the convention was discussed in
| any convention of the party in any
| county in the State. 1t was apparent
for months before that the ticket
would keep the revenue crowd in con-
| troll of the Republican machine in the
State. Harkins in the West and Dun
can in the East We're to be the domi-
mating influences. Before the conVen-
| ton met there was an occasional out
break of some FESTIVE Republican
swearing that he was tired Of boss
rule, and proclaiming an independence
| of the revenue croWd-that never
! reached the floor of the conVeEtIOn
1t was stifled by fear or purchase
present or prospective. The oonven
|
| Federal office holders, who ruled il
with iron hand.
Judge Bynum. a Lifelong Republican,
| On BoSSiSm in That Party.
We know of no language that so
| fifty characteriZeS it as the following
utterance of Hon. William p. Bynum
late Republican Superior court, judge,
| who gave out the following interview
| the morning after the conventions:
1.-THE time has come in the tide of
Republican politics in North Carolina
when one of two things must be done.
Either the Federal office-holders must
own, control and manage the affairs
of the party absolutely, as they seem
! to be doing at this convention, or they
must abdicate and allow the party to
| be managed and it's policy shaped by
| those whose policies and principles
are governed by other considerations
than officegetting greed, grab and
graft. If the Federal office-holderS
continue in control then no self-re
speeding man can or will be induced
to take part in Republican politics i'll
! this State. If they are forced to alb
dictate, as should be done, then there
| is a future for the party. This may
! be said here and now. The party
seems to be drifting without a leader
or any one who has the courage to
speak above a whisper. Everything is
subrogated to the chance of being a
delegate or getting an /Office. The
thoughtful, prudent people of North
Carolina never will and never ought
to consent to the management of the
affairs of this great State by such an
| irresponsible cabal as now controls
/ the affairs of the Republican party Of
this State"
This same spirit of domination
IT. i
gressional convention. There has been
no denial of the reports of the gath
ering appearing in the daily press In
the last campaign the Republican
speakers boasted of the fine character
of their conventions with the negro
out; and they proclaimed them
models of SoberneSs and good order.
The only real live district convention
of the party was held in WilkeSborO
on April 2. 1904, to nominate can
) didate for Congress-not a negro pres
; ent.
Linney on Republican Convention
Methods.
We are not without Republican au-
. thority for saying that this convention
and its methods were a disgrace to
the State. In Il published statement
dated April IS, 1904, Hon. r. L. Lin
ney characterizes in detail the pro-
ceGu1IlSS Oh the w llhcSDOEO COnNel-
ton. The article is quite lengthy and
we simply take extracts from it:
1.-THE temper of the convention was
such that the committee could not
work much in the committee room. /
have been informed by the committee
that words of insult were hurled
against them in that committee room
| and demands for an immediate re-
! port within two hours after their APP
| no 1aHo ha
officer informed DR.. Carson that if
the committee on credentials reported
| no quorum, and he as chairman, adj
| journed the convention, he would be
| thrown from the window Of the court
house and a hundred men killed.
At the close of Mr.. Ashbury's
| final address, decidedly the best speech
| made in the convention at ALL he was
insulted by an internal revenue Of
| fcer.''
This rump convention attempted to
proceed upon the minority report of
| Mr.. Long before the majority report
was made, and in the absence of DIR.
Carson who alone is authorized by
our rules to receive the report of the
committee on credentials. The only
nomination that Mr.. Blackburn ever
received was during the recess of the
convention when no quorum had been
ascertained to be present and in the
absence of the presiding officer DR.
/ Carson. My opinion is that the late
lamented Senator Hanna and Presi-
dent Roosevelt were right if they
stated that Federal officers should not
be allowed to attend conventions as
delegates. They were here. There
was much liquor drinking. l
hope that our State convention will
pass rule that no Federal officers
shall be eligible as a delegate to any
of our Conventions. If it does not
then indeed are the splendid prospects
of Republican success in North Caro-
lima destroyed long before the cleo
ton of next November Our State
| convention will have an opportunity
to pass this wise rule, which | have
no doubt the national committee will
| pass. Then we can have the cOnVen-
| ton nominate a calm intelligent citi-
zen of the district and probably elect
| him"
/ IT will be recalled that Mr.. Linney
was nominated by the Republican
| State convention as elector at large,
and also that a second Republican
| convention of his district has nomi-
mated him for Congress in opposition
| tO the nominee of the WIKI eSbOrO con-