Vicksburg weekly herald., 1877-07-13


least Objectionable plan for selecting
candidates. II there vas hut one Office
to be filed, the Convention or the
Primary Election, either, would do,
though even then, the pre- ference should
be for Primary Election. But In this
election, we are called upon to choose
one Senator. four Representatives,
Sheriff, Treasurer, Assessor, Coroner
and Ranger, and FIVE Supervisors.
While it Is possible 70. a Convention
TO represent the people for the most
important Office On the list it is abso-
lutely impossible Tor i to rep
resent them for g. the Of
fees. The majority IA ward
or in district would contro. the selec-
ton Of delegates to a Convention for
the office that excited the greatest In
terest, and such a majority Woald prob.
ably misrepresent the people as 10 all
the other offices. This difficulty, it is
plain. is happily oLviated b. allowing
every one to vote for bis choice for all
the different Offices. For example, by
theprimsry system. the voter can 60
to the election and vote for his choice
for Senator, for Representatives, for
Sheriff, for Treasurer, and so On, but by
the Convention plan the voter can only
vote for list Of delegates, aud they
may totally misrepresen; him as to all
the Offices, except the oae considered
most important.
There Is less chance Tor fraud IN a
Primary in fact a Primary can be
made an almost perfectly fair test.
The Commercials idea that some Of
the judges might be bought up is too
thin. In Primary, all the candidates
will be represented in the Judges aud
Clerks, and In addition 10 this, the
friends Of the candidates would be on
the watch, and bribery would be utter.
ly impraCticable. We rather expect
the Commercial is advocating a Con.
vention because lhe Primary cannot
he corrupted, when 1t Is proper con-
Quoted. At any rate, we can't see that
the Commercial has any thing 10 DO with
the question, for it does rot claim to be-
long to the Democratic party. Il is,
so ii claims an Independent journal.
The claim, that the Conventions pub
licity prevents fraud, i, the yeliest
nonsense. The vote Is by ballot in a
Convention as often as auy other way,
and there is absolutely no way to pre-
vent corruption and swapping, or the
use Of money. II the Commercial is
in favor of the rich candidates, il Is
taking the right course; as for the
HERALD, We want all Democratic can.
didates, no matter if some Of them are
poor, to have a fair chance.
The argument that the Primary is
the most troublesome and expensive,
is not worthy Of notice. Iii not true
to start with, and If il was, trouble and
expense are not to be weighed against
fair play.
It is folly also 10 talk about the cOun-
ty not getting fair play. 1t tisthe duty
Of the new Executive Committee to see
that the county does get fair play, and
that body will without doubt
perfect plan by hich two OF the Rep.
resentatives TO the Legislature will be
chosen from the county, and by which
every white vote in the county will
count Tor as much as white vote In
the city, By this plan the city and
county will be as one, and that is the
proper way 10 regard this election, and
we are astonished TO see the CONNER
cal drawing line between city and
county interests.
The Commercial asks "what is going
to be done with the nrgro?' [. we are
any Judge Of he Democratic party ofthis
county, it doesn't propose TO do any
thing at all with the negro. It is not
our business TO ram politics down the
negro, aud the only thing we can do
with him is to encourage him to let
politics alone. We have gotten along
several years without any political as.
sOCiation with the negro, and 1t is best
for US to continue a course that is
proved 10 be good.
Let us have a fair Primary Election so
that poor white trash, as we'll as rich
intriguers, will have a fair show.