The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1905-10-20
NJ. Irvine Replies to the ersiden-
town Herald,

~ bIVne WopuoS 70 Sno oSSoo"-
town Herald.
To the Editor of the Ocala Banner:
We wish to say in reply to the
Braidentown Herald that it must re-
alize the ugly proposition it has I'M
dertaken when it denounces the de-
mocracy of the whole state to sup
port its charges against the Marion
county contingent and its executive
committee. Its efforts by persistency
add sophistry, to distort the facts
and pervert the real issues. should
deceive no intelligent reader.
The question, as it well knows, has
never involved Mr.. Bells standing
nor competency, but the manner Of
the appoinetnse,st and the right of the ex-
ecutive committee to make protest.
This protest was duty devolving
upon each and every member of that
committee as representatives of the
demo Gratis of Marion county who had
been deprived of the customary right
to express their preference; and
duty to those aspirants, who, in re-
speeding the party usage and without
notice to the contrary, had been de-
prived of all opportunity to present
their claims.
Our assertions of the action of the
convention of 1876, and it's recogni-
ton by every succeeding convention
! and executive, is not denied by the
slightest attempt to refute; but, to
the contrary, is inferentialIy admitted
in the most positive manner by the
severe criticism of that convention
and the party and party leaders of
that period; saying in part, "when
the democrats got into power and
tasted the rich meat of RECONSTRUCT
! ton infamies they hung on to that
power until the party was shattered
and they were driven to the call of a
pretty set they were to make mean
ingless platforms and let the state
suffer from such al Infamous consti-
tuition"
We are taken back in memory TO
republican campaign speeches and
ilariUy causes us TO mediate on where
and now this uncontaminated Mana
tee democrat" with such antipathy
to Marion county popuIisn, received
his impressions and first presumes to
instruct us in party law and party
heard that the state was brought to
the verge of bankruptcy by those
Reconstruction infamies,' with no
''rich meat" to corrupt that pretty
set ''of democrats" and too poor, uu-
til the Disston land sale, to bear the
ton. That the main objectiona bic
feature of that reconstruction conSti-
tuition had been virtually eliminated
by that meaningless platform of
the Quincy convention, and in a way
that solved the negro question and
''black belt'' of our state from negro
domination.
i And he claims to be mystified by
the expression "home rule" denies
there is any such thing as party
law" that party platforms have
no binding force'' and executive
committee, as representatives of
only a clique, presuming to dictate
to the governor.
Are we taught by this immaculate
democrat" that nothing but statutory
enactments can be designated as even
'party law" that there is no honor
involved in party pledges and no
binding force in political obligations?
Can he deny that the provisions for
nominating conventions and primary
elections are made by these little
executive committees" and they tab
ulate the returns and make effective
the reSulf9