The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-04-06
For the anderson L,telligencer.
Shall the Democratic Party Nominate
its Candidates by a Convention or by
Primary Elections

Whichever of these two plans is ikely'to
result in producing the greatest harmony
and unity of action in the general election,
by bringing out the strongest men as candi-
dates, especially for the Legislature, should
certainly be adopted. Let US analyze some
what in detail the practical operations of
the two plans, so that wisdom will control
the decision of this important question.
And first, as to primary elections. On a
certain day the Clubs throughout the Coun-
ty will be required to hold primary elections
at their respective precincts, to determine.
by ballot who shall be the nominees of the
party. After the election, some one of the
managers will be delegated to report the re-
suit at Anderson, and after summing up the
whole, the men who get the highest number
of votes, will be declared the nominees of
the party. There are two serious objections
to this plan. 1st. There can be no concert
of action, because by this election it is
meant to get the preferences of the local
clubs, which, from the nature of the case,
especially with choice of candidates for the
Legislature, will be almost as diverse as
there are different Clubs to vote. Such be-
ing the case, the nominees of the party
must necessarily 60 before the people backed
by minority vote of their own party. If
to remedy this evil it be proposed to require
majority of all the votes polled to secure
nomination, then it will necess:tate more
than one election to bring about that con-
cert of a ton SO necessary to q successful
result. Nor will previous nominations by
the subordinate Clubs obviate the difficulty,
because if the people vote at all, they should
be allowed the fullest exercise of their local
preferences, in order to ascertain correctly
the sense of the people. Another serious,
almost fatal objection to the plan is, that it
will be impracticable to procure from the
various candidates their individual pledge
to abide the nomination. Usually in NOM
mating conventions, the candidates are very
properly required to give their pledges to
abide the nomination before their respective
| claims will be considered at all. And it
ought always to be done. There are other
serious objections to the plan of primary
elections, but the two already named are
sufficient to condemn it, unless they can be
clearly obviated.
The County Convention plan embodies
the good points of both plans, with none of
the evils of the first. The subordinate Clubs
| will be invited to indicate their preferences,
either by primary elections or otherwise,
and then they will appoint delegates to meet
with other delegates in County Convention;
to compare notes and sum up the result.
If none of the candidates come into the
Convention endorsed by q majority of the
Townships, (and no man should be declared
the nominee Of the party without clear
majority of the Townships then said dele
gates will proceed by ballot to select the
standard bearers of the party from the nom-
inees before the Convention. Thus, by the
County Convention plan the voice of the
people will be clearly ascertained, and con-
fiicting opinions harmonized. 1t is no OBJ
lection to say that each individual citizen
will not be allowed the decision of the ques-
ton for himself, for by the terms of our Or
ganization, and from the nature of the case,
We cheerfully surrender our individual and
local preferences for the common good.