The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-08-27

tho club was cntitlcd to seven dele
gates, and since majority of the
members of club is sufficient TO
elect delegates, and since tho ad~
herents of Colonel Subcr wcro in
tho majority, and could have elcctcd
all tho delegates, oven if the sup-
portcrs of Mr.. Johnstono had re-
maincd in the club, therefore all tho
seven Subcr delegates should DO
seated Thus, in the simplest
manner possible, arose a most per~
picking and delicate question.
How should it have been decide Il ?
We will wager that should the
point be submitted to any twelve
men taken at random in Winnsboro,
where no personal interest or pro-
Judico is involved, the chances arc
even for decision on either side,
How much moro embarrassing
would such a question become in q
close and heated contest between
two candidates whcrc change of
six votes is involved, and how easy
for men to differ in all honesty and
sincerity, and how easy for tho
friends of tho defeated candidate to
attribute his defeat to the alleged
unfairncss Of a "packed convention. /"
We do rot know how tho point was
decided, Or whcthcr it was decided
at all, but this is Of no consequence
i'll tho deduction of our moral, that
the plan of nominating by conven-
ton affords unlimited opportunity
for vcxcd questions impossible to
be satisfactorily adjusted in the
heat Of q canvass.
What would have been tho conse-
qncncc, if Ncwberry had adopted
the primary system i? In that case,
tho minority in every club would
have had it's voice in the direct voto,
and the preference of cvcry individ-
ual Democrat would have found
uttcrancc. A poll would have been
opened in the Ncwberry club, when,
instead of fighting over delegates to
represent the whole club, part Of the
members would have voted for
Subcr and part for Johnston, the
result would havo been forwarded to
the Executive Committee, and the
club could have remained intact,
instead Of being rent in twain be-
cause thcro would havo been nc
necessity for a withdrawal. The
county at large would have known
that just SO many votes We're cast
Tor ono candidate and just so many
for the other, and the simple rules
of arithmetic would have decided
the nomination. Now tho people
arc undecided whether four. dclc-
gates should be given to one, and
thrco to the other, or clso seven to
ono and mono to the other, and
consequently as to who really is en-
titled to tho nomination.
Since it has been shown that tho
passions arc excited equally by eith~
CT mode Of nominating, the question
ncXt arises which is the better mode
i'll other respects. Surely that
which affords least prctcxt for bolt
ing and for independent movements.
And here the advantage is all On the
side Of tho primaries. All the illc-
gal votes that can bo cast ut pri-
marics can also bo cast at club
elections for delegates. Honors arc
easy ON this point. But given legal
voters, who ever heard of "packed
primaries" whereas "packed conven-,
tions," if the disaffectcd are to be be-
loved, arc as plenty as blackborries.
Ono man may manipulate a con-
vention, but when it comes to
manipulating primary, that means
simply that the SO called manipula-
tor is really strong enough to com,
manda majority of all the voters in