The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-10-12
How to Nominate.

How to Nominate.
The report OF the subcommittee ap-
nointed to consider whether nominations
for the House OF Delegates should be made
in this city, and il SO to prepare for the
CITY Committee plan for making them,
contains certain recommendations which are
both novel and remarkable. We have had in
this city primary elections and we nave hao
conventions; and now it is proposed 10
nominate candidates for the House OF Dele
Gates by process OF unnatural selection
nartaking OF the nature OF both conVen-
t;ons and primary elections. First, prl-
mary election is to be held; and all csndi-
da.cs who receive majority OF the whole
number OF votes cast are ipso !facto to be
,,adn nominees. But as it is likely that
some Of the many candidates will fail to
receive majority. the plan proposes that
the unsuccessful ones shall appoint dele
gates to convention which shall nominate
the number of candidates requisite to I'LL
up the ticket. D..
This latter feature OF the plan seems TO us
% have nothing to recommend II TO pup
tic favor The object Of the Convention IS
protesscdly TO obviate the selection OF can
didatcs whose popularity is merely local,
and who. though they may get plurality
vote, cannot get aiority vote. they being,
lei Us suppose, mere ward politicians. But
how does the plan propose to rid the public
rf these objectionable aspirants? Why, by
providing that nobody shall be nominated
hy the Convention except these local poll
tjcfan- unless every delegate shall agree to
vote for him. And who appoints these
delegates who are thus to come to unanl-
r1p,,> decision? The very candidates who
arc not thought worthy OF being nomlna-
ted. Surely there is a fatal defect in this
scheme.
But lei lis concede that the plan is toera-
b,c-allomablc-and then consider its pro-
bablc operation. II no one but the aSplrants
voted iur a: the primary election is to come
before the Convention, and as each OF these
i TO appoint number OF delegates pro-
portioned to his vote at the primary cleo.
ton, it follows that JONES will appoint say
81. Brown 25, SMITH II, THOMPSON ID, and
JOHNSON Is. Who will be nominated! II
is not necessary 10 answer the question.
JONES and BROWN know that they have q
majority Of the delegates, and so JONES and
BRowN will be Enthusiastically the
men who would have been the candidates
if the five persons receiving the highest
vote at The primary election had been de-
ciarcd the nominees.
So we shall gain nothing by the Conven-
ton. We shall have no new candidates to
choose from; and amongst those whose
names will come before the Convention
those persons will almost certainly be nomi-
mated who run ahead At the primary cleo
ton. In fact, it seems to us that they would
be entitled to the nomination. 4 Conven-
ton might very well be excused for nomi-
mating any gentleman of unusual! ability and
fine qualifications whose name HAD not been
submitted to the people at the primary cleo
ton; but after the voters themselves have
passed upon the aspirants and expressed
their preference as between them. it would
not be democratic 10 throw aside the men
whom they preferred and nominate the
men whom they rejected. a..
This objection would not lie against a
convention of delegates appointed by the
City Committee and authorized to fiil out
the ticket with the best names K. be had in
the city. r........