The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-06-29
Primary Election.
Editors of The Dispatch i:


raj editorials have appeared in your paper
complaining of the action Of the City Cen.
trail Conservative Committee In their ndop-
ton of the plan of primary election as pub
lished in the Dispatch of Wednesday. ask
for space 10 your columns to make reply.
The writer starts out by affirming that
"ro such plan was ever before adopted or
used In any city of this country, so far as
our knowledge extends" What reason to
give in this age of progress and of growing
mental illumination. Are we to close our
eyes against the light of experience, and
make no effort to avoid the errors and steer
clear of The breakers and quick-sands upon
which we have fallen in the past? But this
you admit is ''immaterial."
The Dispatch says the "rues and regula-
tons laid down by the State Committee have
been disregardcd by the City Committee"
and then proceeds as follows "The State
Committee recommends the election of dele
gates and the CiSy Committee disregards this
Recommendation" &c. Yes, the State COM
mittee does recommend the election of dele
gates; but does the State Committee pre-
scribe the mode by which the delegates shall
be elected? You also say the State Commit
tee requires uniformity. If so, Mr.. Editor,
why d. you so earnestly advocate primary
election for Richmond when you so wen
know that no such plan will be adopted IN
the country districts? Will you be so good
a. TO explain your own Inconsistency
When the State Committee speaks OF
uniformity in the manner OF appointing
delegates they obviously had reference TO
the nuha5er of the delegates and to the 6aSaS
Of representation. The object is nothing
more nor less than to ensure justice ana
equal privileges to all concerned. Although
they ulav be gentlemen "m0rc distinguished"
than The members Of the City Committee,
vet suppose that they would not have the
tcmcrity and presumption 10 dictate 10 them
mode by which they should elect their
delegates. As regards the liking the num-
Der of delegates and the basis OF reprcsen-
tation this is Just and salutary rule; ana
whist it IS true that the City Committee has
by Il mere oversight given only SlXfy-i!lrce
delegates to Richmond instead OF seventy,
vet the counties embraced in the district,
and which Won say are ovcrSlaughed by the
action Of the City Committee, cerfalnly have
no cause of complaint on that ground, but
on tie contrary would DC apt TO thank Us
for our libCrality.
4 correction Of the plan in this respect,
however, will doubtless be made. But TO
return to a consideration Of the question OF
clpcling delegates. | claim that delegates
are clccted by no plan, or what Is eqlilVa-
lent TO i;-thcy are nominated by portion
OF the pcoplc who vote for and elect the
t-ut.lda'cs. What IN effect, then, is the diff
ference between your plan OF clcctIng dele
oa:cs ana that of the Committee, except that
YOUR pan is obnoxious to serious objections
from wlpch that OF the committee Is exempt:
Docs net every man having any acquaintance
with the manner Of electng delegates 10
nominating conventions heretofore in this
cl'y kno,c that they have almost ill.,
yariably been elected with reference TO
their >yclI.kEown advocacy of this
claims of some particular man or
men for office: Has it not been the practice
in our ward meetings for the friends of
each particular candidate to nominate Il
ticket which would be supported almost
ny the friends of the candidate
present: This has been so uniformly the
case, and so strictly has this practice been
carried out, that it could be often determined
al ,cr the election Of delegates and before the
assembling Of the Convention, upon whom
tn: choice of the Convention would tall.
The truth is undcniable that the delegates
to our nominating conventions have hereto
fore been virtually if not absolutely pledged
to some particular candidate or candidates.
Tn!s position might be sustained by refer
ence to numerous Well.knowp prccedents.
This much as to our former practice.
Now, let me ask if it is not reasonable. aye,
is it nos safe 10 conclude that the same thing
would occur under the primary election plan
advocated by the Dispatch? Say, for in
stance, that A, i, {, are candidates tor the
nomination for Congress, and that delegates
arc to he elected to Il convention for the pur-
pose of nominating one of these gentlemen
what would, almost beyond the possibility
OF a doubt, he done? Tie friends of each
candidate would frame 4 ticket containing rs
many names as each ward would DE entitled
to i'll the nominating convention. they
would. Of course, be the most intelligent, ac-
tive, and popular supporters o. the candi-
dates iii each ward. This ticket would be
supported by all OF the friends OF
the candidates, and would ii elected.
consider themselves pledged to support
such candidates in the convention. Does any
man doubt this; and can any human means
he devised to prevent it: Whence, then, pro-
cceds this attack upon the City Committees
plan of csctng delegates TO the nominating
conventions: In what respect is the plan
advocated by the Dispatch better than that
adopted by the committee for i'll either cas-:
it must bc apparent to every one that the
delegates would GO to the convention absO-
luteIy pledged to the support of some patti
cul.r candidate. But, again, the object of
holding convention is to ascertain who is
The strongest and most available man for the
office in question. Who are the more COM
~ a
Sembled in convention, or the people at the
polls? The people at the polls, Of course.
Then, what better mode CAN be adopted than
that recommended by the City Committee!
Here you have fair, honest, and direct eX-
preston oflhe will ofthe peoplea the polls. Is
not this infinitely preferable 10 allowing some
smart, willy politician in convention. by his
superior tact, adroitness, and power of argu-
mcntation, to control and mould a conven-
ton to suit has personal uiers and predilec.
lions, and thus, perhaps, to defeat the aciH
Of the people and TO hazard the success Of
the party.
What are the essential leading objects de-
signed to be accomplished by the adoption of
primary election planY Why this uniyer.
sal clamor and demand for primary cleo
ton in our city, which wells up from the
great heart of an outraged and Indignant
people: Is il not to utterly root out and de-
stroy "cliques" and "rings," and to place
the power Of controlling elections where it
properly and rightfully belongs-in the hands
OF the people, who can better decide tor
themselves than others can possibly do for
them.
Let us see whether this object can be &C.
complished by the plan Of eleciing delegates
as advocated by the editor Of the Dispatch.
lay it down as the only rule that can be