The Bolivar County Democrat. (Rosedale, Miss.) 1887-1969, 1907-10-26
ADDRESS TO DEMOCRATS.
BY Capt. e. H. Woods, Chairman of
the Democratic Executive
Committee.

To the Democratic Party of Boil
var County:
Unfortunately, for the first time
Ill many years, the regular Demo
cratic ticket in Bolivar county is op-
posed by an independent candidate
in the person Mr.. Geo. B. Shelby
Jr., of Shelby, Miss. who is can-
didate for the legislature against
Mr.. w. H. Fitzgerald, the regular
Democratic nominee.
l have nothing to say of dis
paraging nature personally of Mr..
Shelby. He is ayoung man cf ex-
cellent parts, splendid character,
unquestioned integrity and much
ability and comes of good old DEM
ocratic stock and his relatives have
long bee II my close personal friends.
AS chairman Of the Democratic
Executive Committee of Bolivar
county, l have nothing to say in
reference to the division of the
County. It's wisdom or unwisdom
IS not my concern, any more than
the wisdom or unwisdom of any
other political question, as Chair
man of the party would be my con-
cern, that being a matter about
which democrats differ, but when
it comes to the matter of all indie
pendent ticket being put in the
field against the whole Democratic
ticket or of one independent cam
didate running for all Office against
the regular Democratic nominee
for office, deem it the duty of the
Chairman of the Democratic Ex-
ecutive Committee, however much
personally he might prefer to re-
main quiet, to utter a word of warn-
ing to the Democratic Party.
To you Democrats, therefore, I
submit that to maintain the integ-
rity of the party it is absolutely
necessary that all democrats should
support the regular democratic
nominee, it matters not what your
personal difference of opinion may
be with regard to any measures ad-
vocated by him. The will of the
party as registered in its primary
election must be the only and final
criterion by which each democrat
will determine who he shall vote for
in the regular fall elections. I
have always felt, and believe the
majority of the people feel, that
when Democrats take part i'll pri-
mary election and vote at the pri-
mary, then they are really pledged
to the ticket so nominated and to
each member of that ticket at the
regular elections, it matters not
who may be run against them or
what new issues, may be drawn
into the campaign after the pri-
mary in question. If it can be
said to be proper and just cause to
vote for an independent, because
the regular Democratic nominee
may differ from the voter upon one
question, it is equally proper to de-
cline to vote for a nominee be-
cause the voter may differ from
him upon another question. An
incident of this in national politics
was exhibited when Messrs. Pal
mer and Buckner and their many
followers bolted the regular demo-
caatic convention, which nomina-
ted William ]. Bryan, and ram
independent of him because Mr..
Bryan was in favor of free silver,
and it was largely due to the de-
Election in the ranks of the Democ-
racy, that Mr.. Bryan was defeated.
l believe that the election of an in
depedent in this county would be
the entering wedge in the disruption
Of the democratic organization here
and l further believe that if any
independent is elected on one is
sue against the.regular party nom
inee, it is probable that he may be
elected OH another issue, and this
will carry the contest In the No
vember election, where the negro
vote is matter of considerable
moment and will become more and
more important as the practice is
continued. There are in Bolivar
county more negroes who can read