The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-05-02
pRIMARY ELECTIONs.

eQ TWO weeks dS,o, upon sh0 oupj9Sso Va
primary elections, seems to have been
very generally misinterpreted in this
and in other portions of the State, and
with view of informing our readers as
to It's scope and effect, ne again refer to
it. To begin with, we would nay that
the State Executive Committee has no
power whatever to. bind the different
counties by any action they may take
upon such matters, and they have not at
tempted in the action taken to bind any
person. They only recommend TO the
various counties, and they can adopt the
Recommendation or reject it as they may
please. The object of the Committee
was to give to the counties skeleton Of
a plan which each can reject, alter or
adopt as it pleases, thus securing e dis
! cnssion OF the subject, which will cause
intelligent action uron it. There are
SOME of the recommendations Of the
Committe, which We favor, and some
which We think inexpediept for this
County. In other words, We fsyor ad-
herring very closely to. the plan Of cleo
lion which carried US through the last
campaign so successfully. The iirst re-
commendation of the Committee is that
candidates shall not be nominated by the
several clubs before the primary election.
This has already been adopted by our
County Convention, and therefore the
various clubs from Anderson County
ought to abstain from making any nomi-
|. nations unless the next County (onyen-
ton rescinds the. action already taken
upon this point.
Next, the Committee recommends:
Each aspirant for the position Of can
6idate, when he accepts the nomination
so made, shall immediatiy notify the
County Chairman in writing of the fact,
and in the same. communication state
that he is q member of some local club,
and subscribe to. the following pledge:
aI agree to abide by and support the
nominations of the Democratic party,
and not to accept either nomination or
an Office from any other source than the
regularly constituted Democratic trgani-
zation.n
At least Eve days before the primary
election, the County Chairman shall mo-
tifythe Democratic Gibbs Of the asrirants
who Fave thus qualified themselves for
the position Of candidate, and votes cast
fos any other person or persons sh.ll not
be, counted.
We favor this recommendation, IS it is
virtually the same as the rule adopted in
Anderson County in 1876. The follow
ing was the rule prescribed upon this
subject before: :a.
Resolved, That no candidate shsll be
voted for in said primary election, and if
voted: for, such vote shall not be counted,
unless such candidate shall, at the time
! of the election. be member of some
Democratic Club in Anderson County,
and pledge himself to abide the result of
the primary election and support. the
nominees of the party.
It is necessary for us to pledge every
candidate to abide by and support the
result of the primary election, for if we
do not do so it viii only be used to assist
independent candidates, and would be
the most dangerous form of nomination
which could be adopted, for the dis,atis-
fed element could centre upon the man
who received the next highest vote to
tho one nominated, and by uniting the
Radical vote to thc; tote which he could
command, securs lis election over the
nominee. The primary election is q fair
mode of nomination, and any man
worthy of an Office would be willing to
abide by its result, especially when the
dangers which threaten Us are as great
as those before Us to-day. When the
candidate takes this pledge he only ex-
presses his willingness to abide by the
choice Of the largest number of the
voters in his political party, and if he
Is not willing to do this it is simply be-
cause his love of Office is stronger than
his love for the Democratic party. This
is the most important feature about a
primary election, for if the candidates
are bound there will be no trouble of.
terwards. Every one who is at all
familiar with elections knows that in
ninsty-nine cases out of hundred all
the opposition to nominations comes
from designing and disappointed Office
seekers, who have to arouse opposition
to secure their own advancement. We
believe in thorough canvass of men,
but it should be had before the primary
election and not after it, and every man
who participates as q candidate for nom
inatioa in the primary election should
be pledged to abide its result.
Z The next recommendation is:
4. On the day fixed for the primary
election, each local club shall hold an
election for candidates of the Democratic
party, and report the result in writing
over the signatures of the managers to
the County Chairman. At this election
none but members of the local clubs
shall vote, and each member before be.
ing allowed to vote shall take the follow
ing pledge: " solemnly affirm that 1 am
a duly enrolled member of this Demo-
cratic Climb; that have not voted at this
election, and that / Bill abide by and
sustain all nominations made by the
Democratic party, whether for Federal.
State or county officers"
Ifthe clHbs have the proper pledge in
their Constitution. as all of our clubs
have, this, pledge Of the voter is only
repetition, and had, therefore, in our
I tnl