The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-10-08
sp1edocs Personal and Political.

Il ss5sj .tr,,,r Richmond contemporary IS very
Y ,,hntic IN its assertions that indlvld-
IS Ia, democrats should be bound by any
a ,,lod-e they may have been compelled
EG5+ n~[,,nke Mt q Democratic primary. NO
.a8$ =, tfnr whether the individual Is AFTER
/, wards convinced that the candidates
nominated are unworthy ana the con
vi ductins Of the primary dishonest, me
"A voter should sacredly keep the cn1orceu
Y pledge. Tho Timcs-Dispatch s''ys ~ -.
5 cannot escape the responsibility OF ems
b s.se1 assumed obligation II he uodgcs
3$ Or s11irks he is a dishonest man. accord
AL inr "a the ethics Of The Times-Dispatch.
8s$ "Our Richmond contemporary IS not
,tS er,nhnt1c and earnest In it's views as 70
NJ l;o'1f7 sacredness and inviolability OF
Med ges made by it's party in platforms
383 and byits party leaders on the MUSINGS
K Tho Times-Dispatch not only approves
Sof% the violation by the Democratic party
II of It's pledge to give free books to the
u free schools. but it dcnounces 'hn az p'eo e1,
las de1nagogic and socialistic. me Dis
n match didn't treat the pledge that way
u when f1t was made in 1885. Nor does
THE Times Dispatch make any objection
4. 10 the perfldious conduct OF Its party IN
* violating the repeated pledge to submit
The new Constitution to the people TOR
ii ratification or rejection, and OF Its sol
Z emn pledge that white men should not
he dsfranchised According to the
very convenient ethics of The Times
SEI,isnatch. 1t Is hideously immoral, for an
Il honest man to break a pledge given at
Democratic primary, even after he
has become disgusted with the prlncl-
3nlcs and practices of that party. But
II it does not consider it immoral and dis
honest for tho Democratic party to re-
L peatedly break its most solemn pledges
y TO the people. How can any honest man
Encccpt such teachings in political moral
81 lty?'-Tazcwell Republican.
ID We are in no wise responsible for what
4 the Dispatch did in 1885. and The Times
was not In existence in that year. But We
dc not hesitate to say now that, In our
opinion, the members of the General Ass
sembly acted consclentlously and for
Il tho best interests of the Commonwealth
when they declined to carry out the party
promise to give free books. 1t was In no
spirit Of bad faith that this course was
pursued, but the rather In a spirit Of
conscientious discharge of duty and OF
Ii patriotism. If the editor of the Republic
can should, in a moment Of effervesccnt
generosity. promise his wife carriage
i and horses for g, Christmas present, and
6if he should discover when the festive
Il season arrived that in order 10 make the
purchase he should have to mortgage
the furniture and put her and the chill
dren on short rations, would he feel that
! pledge?"
AS for the Constitutional Convention.
that body was not responsible for any
\ promise which the Democratic convention
made. But each member was responsible
for any pledge which he individually
may have made to his constituency. and
in honor bound to keep II, We recall that
one member said at the time that he
q had stated in his canvass that II elected
X to the convention he would vote to have
the new Constitution submitted to vote
\ OF the people, and. Of course, we agreed
with him that he was honorably bound to
i vote in convention agaist proclamation,
"A BY the same token. we now insist that
every Democrat who voted In the State
primary last August Is under sacred
& obligation to support the nominees Of the
party In the November election What
has occurred, pray. 10 release such a
y Democrat from his pledgc2 He knew all
the candidates. as well then as he knows
them now and there has been no intima-
lion that any man was nominated by
Z fraud. He voluntarily assumed gentle
mans obligation and he is under IL gen.
tleman's obligation to discharge it In
good faith.
How can any honest man accept the
TEACHINGS in political morality of "a news
4 paper which advises otherwise? 1t Is
.8tuuite certain that no honorable Democrn,
will take counsel of such a teacher.
49, 49,