The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-02-28
Ghs Wlcssfnafr,
TuE OPEN DOOR.

honestly believe for lear Oh ocHLS pia~
ed where they do not belong.
The above is from the Raleigh POST
of yesterday. We suppose it a reIer-
ence to the recent action and decfara-
tbons OF some of the sef-appoifited
headers OF rs democratic party VINO
seem to think that they are the party
and that all who differ with their
views ON party matters should be drly-
en- out OF the democratic fold. The
time will come, and We believe it Is not
in the very far distant future, that
win be accorded the right
TN hold opinions as to party measures
differing fl ON the views OF the sena-
tors. the executive committee and the
organ editors.
The state executive committee Of the
democratic party which met in Raleigh
last Tuesday night established the
uceceieat and declared the principle
that every democratic member OF he
legislature had the right to construe the
uarty platform according to his own
ideas. We take the action Of that booy
to mean that 1t is the duty OF every
of the Democratic party in the
legislature to put his construction
ON he PARTY platform. Hereafter the
executive committee, as ais the sub
sequent conventions, have NO right TO
say what a preceding convention meant
by such ard such language. Every
man is to judge n construe for him
self. 1t has been expressly declared
that the democratic legislators must do
this. # this privilege is accorded them
or rather if this duty is forced upon
them the same rule must apply to all
men of the party, whether they are
members Of the Legislature or not. We
do not see that greater 1iberty of o
science and greater latitude in passing
on the meaning of the party platform
should be granted to one member Of
the party han 10 another simply be-
cause the former happens to be a
member of the Legislature.
Will somebody tell us where This
thing will end? The executive COM
mittee has virtually said that every
member of that party has the right to
put his own construction on every
clause Of the party's platform. This
opens the door to all kinds OF interpGe-
tationS of the party's declarations OF
principles. What is the use Of men
again adopting a platform if every
member of the party can by putting his
own construction ON such platform
really make one for himself?
Is not this the legitimate and, in fact,
the only conclusion to be drawn from
the action Of the democratic executive
committee on last Tuesday night?
What else can be said of it?
We did not know before that the only
duty and authority of the party's ex-
eiutive committee was to name the time
and place of the party's state conven-
tion.
Under the ruling of this committee
there will no longer be tine right
to the self-appointed leaders of the
party and the home made party
organs to read men out of the party;
for now every democratic voter has as
much right as amy other one to declare
what The party platform is. The fe.-
low who lives Town in the sWamps of
Currituck and the man who spends his
time hunting bears n digging 'yerb"
roots in Watauga and who go to town
only about once a year have the same
right to say what are the principles
declared in convention by the demo-
cratic party of the state as have Chair
man Simmons, Editor Josephus Daniel,
ex-Governors Jarvis and Aycook DR. any
other MAJ in the party and these lat
ter nave no right to call in question:
their declarations of party faith. We
are all democrats now, each one Of rs
with IA platform for himself. There is
nc longer any boiling the party plat
form. Such a thing is an impossibility.
John Smith can say Section one Ct
the platform suits me because it advo-
Gates high protective tariff and I en-
dorse that principle" Bill Jones can
say: al am a democrat, L believe in
tariff for revenue only and section one
of the democratic platform, according
to my construction of the same, declares
against protection n for tariff forI
revenue only''-and so on and so on
in infinitum and ad nauseam.
We have got a party now with pos
sibilities Of future platforms broaiI
enough to hold every voter in the stated
The question is will all men who en-
dorse the democratic platforms in fu-
ture after putting their own construc-I
tion on them be allowed to have al
voice IN party nominating conventions ,
Where are you COINS to draw the line?
If a mar is a democrat he is entitled
to take part in all party proceedings.
Are we to nave two kinds of democrats
those who endorse the platform and
those who vote the full ticket?
Bears the The Kind You Ha.e Always Bought