Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-10-28

SENATORIAL PRIMARY ELECTIONS
The question Of resorting to the pri-
mary election plan for aseertaining the
choice of the people for Federal Sena-
tor, has been pretty thoroughly can
vassed throughout the State for the
past six months. Some such plan seems
desirable, If only for the purpose of
eliminating the Senatorial struggle
from the regular elections, so that we
light choose our State Legislature with
an eye single to State affairs. Yet
there are some practical difficulties In
the way which must be met and ad-
justed before such plan can be work
cd satisfactorily. First, shall we allow
Radicals to participate, who may mass
on our weakest man, or give the major
ity to candidate of their own, where
We have several running? Could
Democratic legislator be bound by
results SO obtained? If not, how shall
we distinguish and exclude Radicals
from the primary -votea We have no
poll books, as in Kentucky, nor regis
tration, as in many Northern States.
Again, suppose only the Democrats
and Conservatives voted ON this ques-
ton throughout the State, would the
result be conclusives With the vote
split up between half dozen candi-
dates, should Democratic Legislature
be bound by any fraction less than a
MAJORITY Should they be bound by a
mere plurality, though it be less than
one-fourth of the Democratic poll?
These are matters that should be I'M
derstood and settled beforehand, be.
cause, if it were agreed that nothing
less than a majority were authorita-
tive, the people might make the more
effort to concentrate their strength on
some fayOrite.
After full canvassing of the matter,
we are now on the eve of the election
without any attempt having been made
to obviate these difficulties. In fact,
the suggestion has fallen still born ex-
ceptin very few counties. The State
Convention, an able and representative
body, anxious for harmony, and which
might at least have taken the initiative
of accommodation without offeuse to
any one, passed it by. Our Davidson
county convention voted it down. AS
far as We have heard, Shelby, Sumner
and Bedford are the only counties
which propose to submit the Senatorial
question to the proper vote next Tues
day. Even In these three there seems to
be much opposition to the plan, devel-
oping degree of bitterness that may
affect the party vote. Nor are the
friends of all the Senatorial aspirants
participating in the extra canvass thus
started. AS consequence, it may ac-
tually injure the candidate who takes
part in it. A large majority of the
Democrats may refuse to express any
choice, thus leaving the candidates for
whom others vote In an awkward
minority. In such a case all who did
not vote for candidate, might be
counted against him. Besides,
the question of some effective means
for excluding Republican voters be-
comes of vital Importance, particularly
in county like Shelby which cast a
Radical majorityo of over 1000 in the
last Governors election. Unless means
for this purpose, satisfactory to all, be
devised beforehand, there is danger of
charges afterward that the vote
for Senatorial candidate is largely
composed of Radicals and hence not
binding on any one but Radicals.
The Shelby County Committee have
found another difficulty in the way. At
first they proposed to leave space on
the ticket for a Senatorial choice. The
The following section of the Code, how
ever, seems to forbid any extra names
on the ticket, under penalty of vitiating
the entire ballot:
S62. If there be two tickets rolled up
together, o. # any ticket contain the
names Of more persons than the eIector
has right to UOte for, in either Of those
cases, such ticket shall not be numbere
ed in taking the ballots, but shall b.
adjudged void.
In view of this enactment, which is
as old as the State, dating from 1896,
the Shelby county committee have de-
termined on seperate ballot boxes for
the Senatorial primary election, with
separate, unsworn judges. OF course,
the fairness of the whole thing depends
on the character of the judges selected,
as they could not be prosecuted, no
matter how they might manipulate the
returns. In view Of these va
rious difficulties, and of the bitter
feeling which has been aroused in the
three counties named, we must con-
graduate the State and the Democracy
on the course generally pursued in
other counties upon this subject.
From present appearances, there is
danger that change, good enough in
itself perhaps, may be made odious and
postponed indefinitely through a pre-
mature experiment in disregard of the
conditions necessary for its success.
L. liz nnaaaL ~ R..a=..1A g.