The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-14
PEOPLES FORUM
Senator Stubs for a Convention.

Editor of The Virginian:
Sir-In an editorial of April 9th, under head
of What's the Use" you refer to an article
wrote about Estate convention OF the Demo
cratic party of Nirginiato adopt a platform
You ask First: Who is authorized TO summon
such a body to assign the representation IN II
and to declare a plan for eleetng delegates?
Does The Virginian think that the present or
ganization of our party, should remain anu
never have another convention? Surely; me
time must come for reorganizatlon' II So
why not now? The State Democratic commit
tee ia the power to call State convention
to assign the number of delegates and the CITY
and county committees to select delegates TO the
convention When delegates meet in convention
go,,erntne body Nobody could prepare for it In
advance a scheme Of plan and scope Ihls mas
never been done in the past when conventions
were called; conventions would meet; commit
tee on resolutions would prepare a platform OF
principles and convention ADOPT or reject. men
the convention would elect State chairman anu
congressional districts elect I'VE members ana
these would form the state Democratic commit
tee to take care of and he the governing body OF
our party.
There is a great cry In Virginia about the or
ganization and anti-organizaton factions
have been since 1869, an advocate of strict party
lines. "hew to the line let chips fall where they
may" and / always fight in the party and abide
tho result have attended every state Demo-
cratic convention, since 1855 and Organization
has been the main cause of our success in the
past has kept down factions and since our
party has ceased to have conventions to adopt
platforms the year the governor and other State
I officers were elected, we have had broils and
bickenings and factions and cry of boss and
. bOsssm, organization and organization UNI
til now ii is a lameniable fact You hear Demo-
Gratis denouncing Democrats and when called
down" the reply is, we don't konw what our
platform is. Yes, ! regret to write it, but our
party is being rent in twain land l am not tell
ing where the fault isl and unless we do some
/ thing to restore harmony, to stop the cry of
Organization" and INSTRUMENTATION" we can
not hope be in the future were in the
days when we held every four years party con-
venton and adopted party platform. Further
every platform, adopted since the war, has been
progressive. advancing step ystep, new planks
new problems to be solved, and when promul-
gated as a Democratic principle ii was at once
accepted. Notably, the platform adopted in
Lynchburg in 1888 when we accepted the plank
on state debt question, directly opposite to tSe
as our chairman we recaptured the senate and
house and in 1855 elected Democratic gov
ernor.
The candidates for house of delegates are
publishing each. his platform The daily pa
pers are commenting on the platforms and the
planks are far from being the same When
! these candidates elected they bound
by their Platforms but let a party convention
speak, these candidates Will be bound by party
platform and senators would be bound and "a
convention undertake to fix and find in advance
the action of the next general assembly" This
is exactly what l want done. Let the Democrats
in convention assembled say what is best for
party and State.
The last platform adopted by state Demo-
cratic convention, when Governor A. T. Monta-
que nominated is almost unknown in State
politics and since then have progressed
/ advanced and made rapid strides for the bet
ter, that should meet and speak out
and make Cleaf' and let Virginia keep step
/ to the music of the hour / have said and l re-
peat Il am a candidate for house and do
want my platform framed by party conven-
ton
may be mistaken, but l conclude by re-
peating--The state Democratic committed ffty
members and State chairman, hfty-one in
all--can call a State convention and no other
( power" can do 1T; it can and it has full
thority to give the necessary orders how, when
and where convention shall meet
If the State Democratic committee will not