The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-06-16

make SURF lsl6l III FAtRtSANsoA ~
submit il would not pass the ~conven-'
ton a few OF the faithful called on
the Governor for q speech and he
proceeded 10 the proposition
and opposed giving the same people
that elected him Governor the right
To say whether they wanted the initia-
tive and referendum or not And MS
declaration against submitting 1t was
enthusiastically ~applauded by senator
Overman, who sat on the platform
and who expected to be elected TO the
Senate by these same people this
November. They can trust the peo-
pie to elect them when bound by q
minati convention in which they.
the people, had very little voice, but
cannot trust the people to vote upon
q vital question of government where
they can express themselves lIeeis
from convictions.
There wac present in this the State
Convention many of the recent ap-
pointees of President Wilson, the fact
is they largely dominated the conven-
ton. There vas much enthusiasm for
the President manifested. Loud and
spontaneous applause greeted each
mention of his name. Evidently that
enthusiasm was applause for his Judg-
ment in his selection of men for office
in this State, and not for his efforts
in behalf of popula government III
America. One wise p leader de-
clared that Nebraska and New Jersey
could not teach North Carolina De-
mocracy. Well, perhaps not that de-
mocracy spelled with a big d, but
Nebraska and New Jersey have fur
nished two men who can teach North
Carolina that Democracy spelled with
a little ID" In other words it was
ANNOUNCED from the platform, in a
Democratic Convention that we do
not need to learn, that no one can
teach us, that we know it all, and in
that sentence the speaker unconscious
ly stated the fundamental principle Of
the stand patter in politics.
Position Cannot BE Justified.
The party cannot justify its position
upon the primary. If the principle
of a State wide primary is sound and
practical at all it must necessarily
follow that its application to all effec-
tive Offices would be proper 1t was
g strange and ~untenable argument in
a Democratic Convention that a pri-
mary law would destroy the Demo-
cratic party in certain counties in the
State. Think of it, a law giving the
people a right to select their officers
themselves would destroy the party.
How a man could make that argu-
ment in a Democratic Convention and
keep his face straight | cannot under
stand. | grant YOU that a primary
law in some counties in this State
might destroy some so-called Demo-
VI Ato ohd ltIal IlS1 NC q
| great service to the State. 1t was
: boldly declared that the people Of
5 Guilford, Mecklenburg and other
counties having a primary law had
r nothing to do with how the Demo
: Gratis Of other counties selected their
candidates. This propositio is un-
tenable because it does matter to the
2 people of these counties who the other
!, counties send to the General Assem-.
/ bly, to make laws for the entire State.
2 The will Of the people is not needed
D in the politics of this State. This is
= true and we had just as we'll recognize
. this truth now as later. Wake coun-
ty is the home of some of the leading
progressive Democrats of this State.
= 1t is needless for me to name them.
: Yet IN the recent convention on the
vote to adopt the minority report in
favor Of a real primary law CWake
county having a primary law ITSELF.
cast its vote SOlidly against it and to
t do SO put the unit rule on certain
delegates and thus, in it's vote misrep-
resented a large elemen of the party
n in that county. / cite this merely to
S snow what can happen in a Demo-
Q cratic Convention in his State. and
such action be sustained by the con-
a VentiOn.
The Basic Trouble.
q think the great trouble is that
Y those in charge of the party now.
m~isconCeive the function of a political
party. To advance the faithful to Of
ice is q mere incident to party organi-
n cation. Its function should be to give
8 expression to the will of the people
and give them just government. The
party IN this State has rendered great
le service to the State in the past. It
g. VIII again serve the State. | am a
lie Democrat and have always been one,
re ! never scratched q ticket in my life.
me great body Of the party in this
iP state Is Democratic in roa1jty &c ual
te as in name, and some Of these day
they VIII rise up and take charge OF
L the party and use it in their own in
"a tereSt. | have no doubt Of this. IT is
unpleasant to me to write this crit
at CiSIn Of certain leaders. Many n.
4 them | like personally and many al
y them have rendered service to the
" state, but as a private in the ranks