The Stanford interior journal., 1911-04-18
THE HAND OF EsAu


tion before the primary, threatens ser
tous injury. and can result in no good
TO the party. Some of these asitators
without avail, having exhausted every
Influence to induce the committee to
rescind the call for the primary yet
,ndu,ge the hope that a convention as
sembled to make a PLATFORM may
somebow be induced to take some ac
ton. which may result in nuliiiyihs
the urinary, and substituting CO.
vention in its stead. This agitation
was started mainly by those who o.
posed the primary, and is only con
,,nuation OF the struggle Tor a conven
ton instead OF a primary.
To call a platform convention Il
advance of a primary would he IL
violation of all precedent. The sus
gestion that the people should know
in advance of the nominations at the
primary what the candidates stand
for, is without force or merit When
sid II ever occur in the history OK the
Asuocrauc party In KsntueC. when
eeminas,cus sere % - made IN con-
x.uu. bssprs esaasy @-prseses
coavszs~s; tsrs sasA. 81 sss~s''~
.supss,ssd 80 nstsvctsa -shAs . psAs
.,eru was sdsbsedr VIE evss sns.
,sssed such se1 % 'et the people know
what oand,dsaes stood fors When .
aominating convention was called
the candidates conducted their cam
naisns, expressed their views on pub
lie questions. and the c5hnties and
precincts appointed and instructed
their delegates, without a platform
The voters who will make their choice
of candidates, in the approaching pri
mary, will know just as much abou'
what the platform will be, or what
the candidates stand for, as did the
voters who have heretofore, time Out
OF mind made their choice in county
or precinct convention. The voters
made their choice then upon the faith
that the candidates were loyal demo
Gratis. and would stand upon any plat
form which the state convention might
adopt. Why may not that course be
followed now?
Every candidate before the primar,
is recognized as loyal democrat, and
will no doubt, pledge himself to accept
any platform that msy be hereafter
adopted. Just such pledges were CIV
en- In the past by candidates, who
sought nominations before conven'
tions. 1t was considered regular and
sufficient theh; why is it not so now?
The adoption of g platform and the
nomination of candidates, in conven-
tion, practically occur at the same
time. The fact that the platform gen
orally adopted a few hours before
the nominations are made cannot al
ford the voters any chance whatever
10 know what the candidates stand
for, as revealed in the platform. Be
sides it is too late for the voters to
profit by such information, because
long before it could possibly be receiy
ed they have instructed their delesates
Tor the candidates of their choice. SO
far as the voters are concerned, the
making OF the platform, at the nomi-
mating convention, amounts to the
SAME as If il were made afterwards.
What possible difference would II
make If the convention. after making
nominations. should adjourn for two
weeks, and then complete its labor, BY
promulgating the PLATFORM Certainly
none. If so. what difference can exist
between nominations by the primary
and the adoption OF a platform two
weeks later?
Platforms are declarations OF party
principles. They are not promulgated
in advance of nominations, in order
that the party voters may understand
what the candidates prefer. All can