Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-05-23
5t1istellaneuns &eadiug.
THE PRIMARY ELECTION SYSTEM.
The Objections Met in Detail...The Expe.
riance Of Oconea Comfy.

THE PRIMARY ELECTION SYSTEM.
The Objections Met in Detail...The Expe.
rience Of Oconee County.
Winnsboro Ne.os and Herald: Consider
able opposition is manifested in different por-
tions of the State to primary elections; but
the objections urged are not based Oh good
grounds. 1t has been shown that primary
election is death to convention manipulation,
and it requires far greater sagacity and
strength to control majority of the people
than to manage majority in convention.
The objection that the primary system would
lead to interminable elections is met by the
provision that at the second election only the
two highest candidates for any office at the
first election shall be balloted for This i'm
poses two elections as the extreme limit.
The alleged crime of cutting off the weak
er candidates by the primary system is not
near so outrageous as the Staying OF the
strongest candidates before convention by
bringing dark horse The primary election
suffers no one to ''lie low" until the candi.
dates have cut each others throats. Any
one wishing to succeed must put his best foot
foremost from the beginning, in order to be
one of the highest two, between whom the
people are to choose.
The objection to the novelty of this dan
gerous innovation is urged by those who are
unaware that the primary system has been
adopted in many States as the dernier resort
for preserving the purity of party. In Fair
field, number of the best citizens who re-
fused previously to enter the clubs now de-
clare that all scruples are removed by the
adoption of the primary system. They are
willing to trust the judgment of a majority
of the Democrats, but they would not tie to
the action of convention.
As to the objection to the pledge, an or
ganization is not worth having unless it can
WELD its members in a solid body. Other
wise no one would waste time in seeking
nomination from it.
Walhalla Courier With Us primary elec-
tions have worked admirably, and have
cured the evils complained of under the DEL
egate system of making nominations. The
plan by delegates is Objectionable. 1t is not
democratic. The nominees are almost al
ways the choice of few leading minds, or of
a combination formed by the friends Of two
or three candidates who manipulate the local
clubs and secure delegates favorable to them.
1t became odious to our people and to be
nominated would have been to be defeated.
1t had about come to this pass, and we can.
not say without reason. In the then and in
the now existing state of things nominations
were essential to the highest interests of the
people, and hence the primary plan was sug
gested and finally adopted. The plan is sim:
pie and fair to all. 1t meets fully the idea
of scrub race without the danger to success,
and then of a nomination of Democrat with
success.
The election under our regulations must
afford as fair an expression of the choice of
the Democracy as could be had at the regu
lar election conducted by law, and without
danger to the good of the country. We en-
courage the formation of as many clubs as
possible, thus putting voting precinct with
in easy reach of every citizen and securing
fullest expression of fopinion. This we regard
important. A voting precinct in each town.
ship will not answer, as it is often too remote
for many voters, who have to walk, to attend.
In the eight townships Of this county we now
have twenty-eight climbs, and at our last pri-
mary nearly two thousand votes were cast,
our full Democratic strength.
Who can object to this plan? 1t is mere.
ly a trial of the strength Of the candidates in
the Democratic party. All this party are
permitted to vote. None but Radicals are
excluded from the polls, for all Democrats
can Join the clubs and VOTE The result
among the Democratic candidates is what it
would have been at the general election.
They stand relatively as they would have
then stood, for the primary is held only a
short time before the regular election, that
the canvass may be thorough and the vote
regarded as fixed. The benefit is this, that
without the primary all the Democrats at the
regular election might have been defeated,
while the primary pits the strongest against
the Radical candidate and prevents divis-
ion of the Democratic vote. Have the can
didates defeated at the primary cause to ccm-
plain? They ought rather to rejoice, for the
result shows they would have been defeated
anyway, and, perhaps, also worked the defeat
of other good Democrats. The plan is
good one and should be generally adopted.