Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-12-01
ARE THE PEOPLE TO BE GAGGED

4 good example 10 his colleague OF the
| oiiics-holders' syndicate In publicly
expressing his opinion on the propo
siilOn for State Democratic Con
yentiOn. True, his views on The maj
tor are Numerically opposed 10 those
/ we entertain, but IL is 10 his credit
| that he voices them openly Instead
of pretending 10 neutrality while So
cretly concentrating inlut ncts 10 con
! troll the decision. The other members
of the inner circle OF the party or
| ,anizaiion would do well 10 follow IN
the footsteps of Mr.. Flood. Their
standing mute on tho subject VIII be
rightly construed q; evidenting ho5ili
( 10y to convention. and they Will he
| held responsible for negative action
or positive inaction ON the part OF
the State Committee just as much az
| II they had shown their hands. They
| cannot hoodwink the public into he
! lieving that the committee is other
than anenable 10 their suggestions.
| The knowledge of their supremacy
over the agencies OF THE Organiza-
| ton" Is by no means confined TO those
! who speak the language of The Tribe
When the Congressional primary ID
| the Second District was OF aside ana
second test of the popular prefer
ence was ordered. there was really
40 need that Mr.. Young should have
| volunteered tho information that this
! tan0essiOn TO the demands OF the
Democratic electorate directly con-
oerned had its In piralicn in the colii.-
sci. eaLiyalent TO an order. of THE
central power that controls Every
, body knew that without being told,
as well as that the result would have
been entirely different had the appeal
/ for fair play lacked the earnest and
! backing to convince the Big Chief and
his stan that the situation was not
enc to be trified with.
Now as to a convention. Until or
unle's they speak for themselves. we
shall assume that tho utterances of
, Mr.. Flood reflect the sentiments OF
Senators Martin and Swanson. Cover
nor Mann and the lesser lights OF the
machine which fnrnishe' motive pow
or and direction TO the ostensihle or
ganizatlon. The State Committee,
however. Is the mouihpiece. theoreti-
cally. OF the will of the party mem
bership. and IL is to that BODY VIC
must look for the formal decision.
The State Committee is mere
administrative BODY, with no legiti-
mate authority EXCEPT to execute pc
VIII OF the partv already expressed
by the member hip as to measures
and candidates for office. That IL
should undertake 10 distrust the Wis
dom Of the people whose eNecutiv"
head IL Is. would be as monstrous "a
for the directorate of corporation
Ia diScmntenanco gathering or the
rtoCkhallers on the ground that the
owners of the property were not com
netent 10 rightly order their own af-
fairs
lnsolently presumptlve is the PIE
text that duly elected representative
OF the Democrats throughout the state
may not be trusted TO deal directly
with the destinieg OF their party;
that they are not both entitled and
qualified 10 determine 70 which side
of what public que tons the party
should be committed; or what issues
had best be left to the unshackie1
Judgment of the voters. Ii Mr.. Flood
Or any other would-be leader, thinks
that Prohibition or the Fee System
should not be dealt with in party
plstform. or made q test of party reg
u,arity. let him be sent by his people
az their delegate TO convention ana
seek there the concurrence OF ma
iority with his opinions. The con
trary course is bluptly to claim foI
the officials and placement or inc
marty an authority and omnisciencf
! TO which they have no shadow oil
title: and il Is To insult the party
ell, ctorate by imputing TO 1t inteiii
gspce so low as to unfit II for SCH
government.
| There Is no semblance of validity
| in any excuse which the State Com
uittee may offer for not calling
State Convention. There Is every
reason why the Democratic people
should gather together by duly elect
| ed proxies and adopt concerted plans
TO supply the party with positive poii
cies and raliying points. A party
without a platform Is a party without
higher purpose than control of the
public patronage and treasury; ane
a marty with no broader purpose thar
that can neither Justify its existence
nor permanently hold its membership
In line. II there were no other urgen'
necessity for n convention than tf
adopt a primary plan which wouit
compensate Substantially for the 40
sence OF any effective primary law
that alone should constra;n the com
uittee to get the supreme authorit,
| Of the Democratic party In session a.
the earliest practicable moment