The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-06-07
CIRCULAR FROM THE EXECUTIVE COMMIT
TEE 60 ~

Atameeting of the County Convention. on the
2oth day Of May 1878, n resolution was adopted
which, in terms. required tire Executive Commit
tee "to recommend to The Clubs plaps for the
nomination of County Officers ana members to
the General Assembly, together with the reasons
for their rrecommendation.p4 g
The Executive Committee, in pursuance Of
this direction, have considered the matter, and
now recommend that the nomination of candi
dates be made by County Convention. They
further recommend that the representation in
the Convention be enlarged, so as to consist of
one hundred delegates, to be apportione ed among
the townships according to population, or as the
Convention shall direct. This plan will give
representation equal to one delegate for every
twenty democratic voters, or ten delegates to
each township.
The following are some of the considerations
which have led the Committee to this conclu-
sion:
The Primary Election plan in its results will
fail to express the preferences and will of the
people, and in its details and practical working
is cumbrous and Objectionable. If the primary
plan shall be adopted the voting at such election
must DO confined to "a club mepbars. or. )sii
must not be confined to club members. II may
be said that third alternative is presented.
that is, (S) confne the voting to known and re-
cognzed democrats.
First. If the voting should not be confined
, to club members, then the question arises, what
restrictions shall be put upon the voting?
OF course it would not do to allow every voter
Republican well as Democratic, to vote at the
primary election. This would place it in the
power Of the Republicans to put Republican
can iidate upon us +; and it would not be party
nomination. We must confne the nomination
to our own party. Then as to the restrictions :
Shall none but Republicans tbc excluded p
Those who were Republicans two years ago? or
those who are Republicans now? If the former,
then we practically deny them the opportunity of
repentance from the error of their political ways,
and the right to join in cur struggle for good
government. This would not be wisdom in
party in the minority, and whose aim should be
to gather in recruits from the ranks of its ad-
versary. If the latter, then how can we ascer-
tain who now the Republicans How can
we protect ourselves from fraud and imposition?
If hitherto Republican voter should present
himself at primary election and proffei to
vote, what satisfactory guarantee can he give
us that he will vote with us at the general cleo
ton? His promise? That may be, and of en- is,
utterly worthless. The recommendation and
voucher Of one, two, three more democrats {?
That would be an uncertain and delusive war
ranty. The average Republican voter is not
unskilled in the ways and means of circumvent-
l.:
according to his pledge wSighs lightly upon
him. 1t might not be possible by this means TO
run in n republican nominee upon us, but it is
easy to see how an unscrupulous candidate could
by this means secure his nomination. BY the
usual electioReering methods of the corrupt
politician, the great mass of the voters of the
Republican party could be induced to vote, at o
primary election, for nominees of q party op-
posed to their own. And if group or ring of
six or eight each o candidate for different
Office, should unite in scheme of this sort, with
their friends TO aid them in vouchipg for the
voters, a nomination of each Of the ring candi-
dates would be reasonably certain. They could
secure nomination Notwithstanding the votes
Of q majority of the Democrats of the County
might be against them. The republican voter
who had been permitted to cast his ballot for
the Democratic nominees at the primary election,
because Of his promise to vote with us, and also
because Of his having been avouched for. by one,
two, three, six or q dozen democrats, according
to the number required to safely warrant him,
might, possibly, at the general election vote for
the nominee, and probably would do so if no
candidate of his own party offered but the
Democrats would certainly vote for him, even
tho the nominee were unworthy. The Demo
crat would feel in honor bound to vote the tick
ct at the general election the Republican would
not so feel. 1t might perhaps not be displeasing
to him to force on unworthy candidate upon his
| adversary. And he would not, in any event, feel
in honor bound to vote for the nominee at the
| general election. This would not be fair to the
Democrat No one should be permitted to vote
for party nominees unless he feels the weight
and the force Of she solemn obligation resting
upon him to support the successful nominee.
Secondly. Results equally pernicious would
follow, if the voting should be confined to club
members Republicans would be encouraged