New-York tribune., 1909-10-04
LIBELLIYG NATIONAL CONVENTIONS

In his anxiety 10 meet the charge that he was
disloyal 10 the tariff declarations Of the last
Democratic national platform Senator Bailey
goes 10 the extreme of virtually denying Ihe
competency Of a national convention TO write
declaration Of principles binding upon a party.
Last spring in the Senate he argued that the
principles laid down by a national convention
ought 10 be 'general"-that is, vague enough to
be construed with convenient Iberalty by the
partys leaders and representatives. Now he
seems disposed to think that IT is dangerous TO
permit conventions TO indulge even in generali-
ties. To Judge from some passages in his re
cent speech in Dallas. the Texas Senator has no
very high idea of the capacity or responsibility
Of Democratic national conventions He has
been sent as a delegate TO a number of them,
and he thus describes the conditions under
which they have labored
You go 10 one and witness its proceedings. It
generally assemblies in midsummer: II is hot. il
is dusty. and if you ever saw a body OF men
aeeaTol,ia in the baa+ ana d11st Won know What
hurry they soon fall in. All the delegates are
mad, most OF them are in a hurry and some Of
them are drunk; and Yet they want 10 prescribe
how l shall redeem my oath TO do my duty
faithfully God has given me to see it. Are
they qualified 10 do it?
(NOice from the audience, mo-
To Mr.. Baiieys ordered intellect, addicted TO
the dispassionate methods Of pure reason The
y
platform, he reports. is produced and adopted
blindly Here is the process:
The sub committee reports to the full com
mittee the full committee reports to the con-
Vention. and the convention orders the previous
question nine times out Of ten, and il passes
without one delegate IN hundred knowing what
it contains. And Vet they insult your
intelligence by telling you that such work is the
work Of your agents; when they try to have a
debate in a national convention nobody hears
what Is said; of $4,000 people there not a
dozen delegates with a voice sufficient to reach
One-half Of the delegation, and then the men
who have the voice do not always possess the
information, and ii is a simple absurdity to talk
about a platform adopted by the political con-
Vention expressing the judgment of the people.
These are, Of course, the exaggerations of
huOyant Imagination. II may be true that
many perfunctory declarations are adopted by
national conventions in a perfunctory manner.
But few declarations as 10 which there is a
real difference Of opinion go through conven-
tion without thorough examination and clear
test Of strength between their advocates and
their opponents II was the platform of the
Republican National Convention of 1896 which
caused the secession of the Silver Republicans.
In the same year the Democratic National Con-
vention was split by similar controversy about
the platform. All delegates in each convention
knew what the point at issue was. How could
they help knowing? Both sides al a convention
are represented on tne SuDcOnmlttee on plat
form and the full committee if no agree
ment is reached in committee the majority and
the minority both put their cases before the
convention. Mr.. Bailey should be able TO recall
the discussion in the Democratic convention of
1892. when Colonel WattersOn representing a
minority Of the committee on resolutions. de-
feated Senator Villas, representing the majority,
and had the tariff plank amended in a manner
highly distasteful to the Cleveland managers.
II is perversiOn OF the history Of parties In
this country to maintain that national CONVEX
lions have not in general exercised full author
iiy in framing party policies and have not exer-
cised that authority deliberately and intelli-
gently. convention may sometimes seem TO n
hasty observer 10 be a body Of men all hot, all
mad, all hurried and some drunk. But when q
contest over a live question Of policy arises that
convention will be seen 10 he alive with inter
est, energy and determination. Such a transi-
ton from apparent eanm and listlessness to
intense nervous activity is characteristic OF
all American assemblages. II is a part OF our
Americanism.
Mr.. Bailey may have grounds for defying the
political authority Of national convocaton.
lie may want 10 ses up state sovereignty in poll
tics against nnlional sovereignty But he does
not strengthen his argument by drawing IN in
dictment against national conventions as inept