The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-21
7 q DREWRY
SHALL THE MINORITY CONTROL?

To show what would be the result
If the State Executive Committee
should interpret the Democratic
platform to be against the Ward bill,
it is but necessary to state the effect
it would have in Wake county.
In the Democratic primaries. Mr..
John C. Drewry was candidate for the
House against Mr.. a. B. Stronach, ana
after a hotly contested campaign. Mr..
Stronach was nominated. Therefore
Mr.. Stronach has been delegated as the
Raleigh member to represent Wake
county in the legislature. And now
comes Mr.. Drewry member OF the
State Executive Committee, and by his
proxy votes to call a meeting of the
State Executive Committee to inter
pref the platform SO as to control
the vote Of his successful opponent
and his associates in the House from
Wake
Is Mr.. Drewry the Wake member
of the committee in person or by
proxy better qualified to interpret
the Democratic platfrom than his sue
cessful opponent, and the other men,
bers from Wake? These gentlemen
were nominated by the people; Mr..
Drewry was defeated by the people.
Is State committeeman Drewry to be
permitted to interpret" the platform
in a manner that will bind Mr.. Stron-
ach, Mr. Olive. Mr.. Sentelle and Sem
ator Ellington? If so, then the chosen
representatives of the people are de-
MED the right to interpret their
wishes We do not know how the
Wake legislators feel about this mat
ter. but we do know that the voters
of Wake county trust the elected rep
resentatives to do their own Inter
preting'' without dictation by the State
Committee.
The situation in other counties may
parallel the situation i'll Wake, and we
state It merely to show that If the
programme of government by COM
mittee" is carried out it will be gov
eminent by minority of the voters
What is the meeting of the state
Executive Committee called for?
Everybody knows that it is called in
the hope that it will declare the Ward
bill contrary to the Democratic plat
form. and then insist that the House
defeat it for that reason. What is this
but an attempt to dictate to the legis-
lature? Here is the statement, signed
by the proxy for Mr.. Drewry and
other members of the committee:
1--WE the undersigned members of
the Democratic Executive Committee
OF North Carolina, meeting at a con-
ference in the city of Raleigh, on this
date, in person or by duly authorized
proxy, IN VIEW OF PENDING LEG
ISLATION in the General Assembly
which we think involves an official in
depreciation of the last Democratic
State platform. and in view of the
fact that the said platform was pre-
scented and interpreted to the people
in the campaign of 1904 by our can
didates and the speakers sent out
under the direction of the executive
committee contrary to such legisla-
ton, deem it advisable in the interest
of party harmony. that you call at the
ca rlieSt possible day, not later than
Tuesday, February Il, 1905, q meeting
Of the State Democratic Executive
Committee"
The originators of that call i'll the
very terms state that they wish the
Executive Committee to make IAN Of
fetal Interpretation" of the platform
with reference to PENDING LEGIS-
LATION' which everybody knows to
be the Ward bill. IL a majority of
that committee should decide that the
Ward bill is contrary to the Demo-
cratic platform, does not the smallest
baby know that it would be declared
that every legislator who votes for the
Ward bill, after that official interp-