Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1876-07-25
A PRIMARY

Tt seems to us, we are likely to have too
many elections all at once. In August we
must vote on Dividing the County :" in DC,
tober VIC elect State and County officers in
November we will make q President and in
addition to all this, ii is proposed to have a
sort of side show called a Primary Election.
There is a vague, rigmarole rumor hat
our people arc disguised with conventions
and that this side show, like patent wash
ing machine, will work wonders.
But when VIC CONF to Investigate the prac>
tical operation of this scheme, it is wrong in
theory aud viii not succeed in practice. It
may work in the cities, it may answer in
certain counties where the people have rolin-
guished the management of their politics to
a few men about the Court House, but it
of voters travel ten miles to vote two to tho
polls and five miles home.
This is a practical age. and very few men
are willing to fool away their time with an
election which don't count. Playing seven
up for fun don't pay.
But a primary election is based on a wrong
theory. The only object in view, is to asccr>
tain which one of several candidates il the
strongest which one can command tho larg-
est support, fat-foOted before tho peoplo up
on his individual merit. IF VIC fluid that We
cannot get our first choice, then we will unite
with the friends of our second choice and we
want an opportunity to develope and exhibit
the strength of each OF the several candidates
they must be measured one against the other.
This requires several successive votes u sin
g!e ballot will not answer the purpose. Thus
for example, on the first ballot, John will $50
votes, William COO, and Thomas 500. This
result is conclusive of only one fact it de-
r,o-nS-oI,, A.. Il ..4 Al. e.. H.
of a majority !! because here arc 1IJ0 votes
against him and only Goo in his favor. a
primary election stops with this one vote and
John is declared the nominee, viz: $50 votes
beat 1850.
But when men discover that they cannot
ob;"iu their FIRST choice, they will rally upon
the next best man. Hence on another ballot
the contest will come between John and Will
liam, aud those who voted for Thomas will
have an opportunity to express their second
choice ! perhaps they will support William,
and give him 1850 votes against the 650 for
John.
When VIC have three candidates the first
ballot will not make a nomination it is not
likely any one man will receive moro votes
than the other two, viz: it is not likely either
candidate will prove himself the first choice of
a majority.
And the difficulty grows greater as we in
crease the number of candidates. Divide
1900 votes among 10 candidates $50 apiece
one man gets lSl shall he be the nominee
when there are 1919 against? In such cases
several ballots are absolutely necessary. We
can have a dozen ballots in a convention, but
in a primary election we arc confined to the
single vote.
But again, this side show will give a can
didate who resides in a large district an I'M
due advantage, viz when the vote of the
County is split up among several candidates
the man who lives in a largo and popular dis
trlct is certain to get the nomination. Ifonc
Township piles 600 votes on her candidate,
the balance of the county will not have a
chance to combine against her, because un-
der this system we do not have o second
vote. Understand, we do not say that any
large District will use her power and dictate
the nominations, but any theory is radically
defective which gives one locality this adj
vantage, and if our Executive Committee
makes the experiment there will be trouble
and disaster.
7 NJ NJ