The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-05-30
sfRGfAia's arIiTtDL row ARD WILSON

iom howard I, NtlteF, OF wise. Virginia,
sbich has the fare merit OF absotute candor
Mt. II fitrr docs Hor IKE out attitude as 10 me
recent State convention al Norfolk and he
makes no bones oF what he considers the
Of that attitude Evidently, The
lfrgtntan ia his view is allied with the powers
that prey. It is a pleasure TO reply with some
degree OF frankuoss to so outspoken gentle
raan
Fist Mr. Miller cannot understand how it is
t4at along with What he calls ultra conser-
yatiye" newspapers. We endorse the failure OF
fhe convention To endorse the candidacy Of
Woodrow Wilson and instruct the delegates 10
vote for him. Such an action he considers
was taken in face Of The fact mat Wilson
sentiment oycrnheiymgF predominates in this
State"
Surely. In ipaiHiaas attitude as to Wood
row Wilson's candidacy has been repeated often
enough and clearly enough to be understood
With equal pains We have endeafored to ex-
plain that our preference for an uninstructed
tell CATION vas based upon the idea of parts
success, and moi upon the idea of luminosity TO
the gentleman from Jersey We agree with
Mr. Miller that the predominating sentiment
in tho State 8. or seems to be. IN favor of
Nilsson as the nominee ut Baltimore But we
Ceny his inference that this preference is SO
express as TO prevent the delegation facing
facts as they are. rather than facts as even
Tar people of Virginia would like To have
them be We eill so further aud say that
every impartial observer of the recent conyen-
hered the supporters OF any other candidate.
Men ttho .cccc heart ard soRi IN foror Of
y 5lson'S eqadfdoev atode no Earnest cFo,t foy
,qern~tieas. Does It necessarily follow that
in convention where the Virginia delegation
d III be one integer Of whole consisting Of
fsty or more equally representative bodies
TIE preference OF particular convention
orght 10 absolutely blind il to the collective
" sdom Of The half hundred conventions of
which the national gathering is the represen-
tatiye?
Second our correspondent complains tl.at
The convention voted down "a proposal to de
Clare for preferential primaries in the future
iAns denying ia substance that the people
have any right to participate in such affairs 3"
HTS. 700 We nave attempted 10 treat al some
length Win such clarity Of expression as We
possess We believe yllat there should be plat
forms and principles to govern party action -
although Ar Miller facetously suggests that
We advocate doing away with these, also. bat
We believe that platform and principle should
he superior .to personality The way to en-
force Il platform is to etect the men who MN
d..
not to look a. j. from any one small angle of
Individual desire. The way TO win battle is
: IL na ~ ftgard 10 81fa4 1ifh~snai1fs Iii doIns4
A Baltimore there will be a" number of can
ddates from whom choice viii be made and
all Of whom MAY. possibly, be rejected for the
psrty good This il precisely possible be-
cause the Democracy mas not lent itself 10 the
presidential primary principle Ii Is in pleas
sns contrast to the development OF that prin-
eiple bs the Republicans, which shows a situ-
alton SO complicated and temper so mixed
that. Roosevelt has declared that he will win
the convention OF bolt II, and the followers
o. Taft declare openly the same thing.
Third Mr. Miller wishes to know how we
square our endorsement OF the convention
action with the howl" We raised for failure
- The powers to permit popular vote
t.pon the question of State Prohibition Our
efforts 1T reason have been indeed wasted If
they be interpreted as "howlines," but that
aside the two questions seem to us fundament-
ally different. In the case OF Submission of
Statewide Prohibition the question was one
FOR the decision of Virginia and Virginia people
alone, In our opinion, The majority sentiment
distinctly favored the proposition They had
not ouiy nominated but elected, their repre-
sentatives in the trust that they would obey
that sentiment There is complete contrast
between failure TO follow a well-known popt-
lar desire and failure OF the particular popu-
lar will 10 insist upon its own infallibity in
the control Of other equally potent sovereign.
lies.
This paper has all along been favorable 10
Woodrow Wilson. il nc proved auaiiabie. II
still fayors him. with that qualification His
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