The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-02-20
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 1878.
Primary Elections.

The State Democratic Executive Com
mittcc at their recent meeting i'll Column
lia seemed to favor the plan of selecting
candidates by the primary election SyS-
tenn and a portion of the State press
recommend this mode Is if it We're pam
acea.for all the ills that politics arc heir to.
They appear to think that primary el"c-
tions have solved or will solve all tn"
difficulties attending the nomination OF
candidates for Office i'll both County ana
State governments. AS Yet we must
confess we have seen no plan suggested
which is entirely unohjcctionablo. In
the primary election system rs practiScd
in the &c campaign the average votcrlSll-
able to be hoodwinked and made Il tool OF
in the hands of sharp-wittcd dcniagoSucs
who find in this system 4 most admirable
instrument for accomplishing their own
small and selfish ends. On the other
hand it is true that conventions are too
often run in the interest of particular
cliuueS or factions. The problem is a
difficult one, and it is ours to adopt that
solution which. is attended by the west
evils. Primary elections as well as con-
vcntions are managed for personal gain,
and both may be controlled by dcma-
goyues, but with this damaging differ
encc-that Il ~dcmagogue possessed Of an
inferior order OF ability may succccdn
manipulating the primary elections
while he would not presume to control a
county or State convention. The scheln-
ing, self-sceking politicians, like the
poor, we have with us Away, both in
primary elections and conventions, but
il nccds a higher specimen of that ire
prcssiblc and numerous class te control
the latter than to control the former. Is
p~cciallv is this evident because the pri-
mary election system has more immc-
diatcly to deal with the choosing of coun
ty officers. But if this system is the
best for these candidates, why not adopt
it for choosing State officers? If it be to
the peoples interest in ono instance, why
is it not SO in the other?
One great objection to primary cleo
tons is that they afford such facilities for
successful log-rolling, and for the forma-
ton of combinations of candidates on the
quid pro quo principle. In them candi-
dates combine to work each for thcothcr's
interest, and thus in each of the comnlu-
mites represented by Il "primary' a
slirewd wire-pulling offico-seekcr can ca
silly obtain the apparently disinterestcd
services of an earnest operator. At ev-
cry crossroads are to be found leaders
who, strongly Influenced for or against
particular candidates, exert that influence
on the minds and votes OF their unsus-
p~ectiug %neighborS, 4 majority of whom
are not presumed to know the colnpara-
tive merits OF each of the numerous cam
didatcs, but being in search of inforlna-
ton are easily persuaded. Tho politi-
cal aspirant soon learns the great power
which this leverage gives him. By i'll
%sinuating manners-for geniality, amcni-
ty. and sweet persuasion, belong to the
office-seeker by INTERCHANGEABLE secures
combination.of rs many friends as pos
sible in different and rcmotc districts,
and he promises to payin kind. This eff
footed, tho election Of a moderately
shrowd manipulation is secured beyond u
reasonable doubt.
What with cliquc-work and domineer-
ing factions in conventions, and with inter
rested combinations and petty chicanory
in primary elections, may we not ask the
voter whether he will have his oysters
stewed or fried?
We shall publish next week an lex
cellent article on this subject from the
Charleston journal Of Commerce., We
commend its wise and soasonable sug-
gcstions. 1t recommends that primary
elections should not be made use of for
the purpose Of nominating the candidates
for Office, 6ut for elccting members Of the
co]nUentiom, uhose duty it is to make the
nominations" This is u~nqueStionably
the best uso that can be made of the pri-
mary elections. AS used at present, they
invite the candidacy Of small men and
offer a premium to m~ediocrity.