The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-05-23
THE REPUBLICAN STATE con-
yESTION.

Welt was overwhelming. History shows
that very large majorities In conven-
lions, legislative bodies, or assem-
blages of any kind, are, as rule,
liable to act less wisely than small
working majority. Unfortunately,
history repeated itself in the case OF
this convention.
Certain ambitious leaders, claim
ing to be the personal representatives
of Colonel Roosevelt, organized fac
ton or a combination of the conven-
ton and attempted TO grab all power
for themselves. 1t was a selfish
scheme, and, therefore, unwise, as
selfishness always is.
The purpose of this combination
was not only to control for a certain
clique everything in that convention,
but to go even further and put
through a revolutionary movement
to violate the State plan of organiZa-
ton and to violate the call under
which the people elected delegates to
this convention by usurping the
rights and powers that the people ex-
pected to confer upon the next State
, Convention that will nominate a Gov
ernor and a full State ticket. In
short, their program went to the eX-
tent of kicking out the present State
Chairman and State Committee be-
fore their terms of office had ex-
pired, and also of selecting a State
Chairman and a State Committee be-
longing to that faction at this first
State Convention.
This scheme was so clearly a rule
and ruin policy, and SO clearly against
the interest of party success in North
Carolina, that the majority of the
delegates to the convention, be it said
to their credit, were patriotic enough
to arise in their might and rebuke
and defeat such unwise leaders in
their selfish and revolutionary
schemes. 1
Long before this convention met,
it was clear to every one that the
people had resolved to give a solid
delegation from North Carolina to
Colonel Roosevelt. When the con-
vention met there was nothing that
it could do to add a single vote to
help in Roosevelt's nomination. The
only thing that this convention could
do, if it was wise, was to act in
every way so as to promote Republic
can success in North Carolina and
give the electoral vote OF the State to
the Republican nominee for Presi-
dent.
Every one knows that the situation
for Republican success in North Car
DINA this year is better than ever
before. Every element and condition
in the political situation is favorable
to the Republican party, and with
Colonel Roosevelt as the nominee,
nothing but wise management is nee
essary to carry the State. 1t is also
clear that the Republican party may
need the electoral vote of North Caro-
lima, to say nothing of the patriotic
duty of every Republican to try to
elect a Republican Governor and a
Republican Legislature so as to give
our people better and more economi-
cal State government.
With State Convention meeting
under these conditions, and with the
duty of every Roosevelt supporter ly-
ing before him so clearly, let us see
what happened. Was there an eff
fort to have the Roosevelt delegates
X to act together in harmony? There
was; but this effort was rejected by
the leaders OF faction which had
been organized to run the convention
in the interest of that clique.
1t soon became apparent that Mr..
Richmond Pearson, of Asheville, was
ambitious to be National Committee
man. Mr.. Pearson was assured that
he could have the election to this po-
sition by a unanimous vote of the
Roosevelt delegates, provided wise
and harmonious program could be
agreed upon that would promote Re
publican success. 1t was soon discov-
cred, however, that Mr.. Pearson and
those who seemed to be in close as
ISOLATION with him would not agree