The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-05-17
THE PHhARY ELECTION sYsrEI.

I'eriencc g Oconee County.
Winnsboro Ne,os and HercM CSsid.
eraoie opposition is manifested in di1rent
portions Of The State to primary elec,lt lbs
out the Sbjsetions urged are not base,I on
good gteunds. 1t has boon shown Il a
primary election is death to conven ns
manlpuiationyand it requires far greatS, ia,
gaclty and strength to control maiori & of
the people than to manage majority NJ q
convention. The objection that tho prha,
ry system would lead TO iutermiuable ,iec.
tions lis met By the provision that al The
sssssS ss;e sishsss !shs y. s.ssj s
@ 1
The alleged crime Of cutting bF the
weaker candidates BY the primary sJstem is
not near 90 outrageous as the slayingof the
strongest candidates before convection by
bringing in dark horse. The primary
election suffers no one to '.lie low" until the
candidates have cut each others. thraats.-
Any one wishing to succeed must 1htth
6est foot foremost from the beginningssi or.
del to be one of the highest two, between
whom the people are to choose. Ia
The objection to the novelty of thbSlan.
Scrous innovation is urged by thostswho
are unaware that the primary systeM I'M,
been adopted in many States as the 6nSsss,r
resort tor preserving the purity oftbarty,
In Fairfield, number Of the best &tixens
who refused preyiously tosentcr b y clubs
z NOV .dselasest hat tsal pptas afe f{ns64sd
" sFiiusssy
They are willing to trust the Judgment Of
maj jorty of the Democrats, but they would
not tie to the action of conventions. 81
AS to the objection to the pledge, AMOR.
ganization is not worth having uness.it can
WELD its members in solid body. Other
wise no one would waste timetin seeking
nomination from it. @e%ss. -
Walhalla Courier: With us primary cleo
tlons have worked admirabl lySand have cured
the evils complained of under the delegate
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 combination formed by the friends of
two or three candidates, who manipulate
! the is local clubs and secure delegates favor
psSpi saad 20 Be aominssea would have
been 70 be defeated. It had about como
to this pass, and VIC cannot say without
reason. In the then aud in the now
existing state of things nominations we're
essential to the highest interests of the
people, and hence the primary plan was sug-
gested and finally adopted The plan is
simple and fair to all. 1t meets fully the
idea of scrub race without danger to sue
cess, and then of nomination of Demo-
crat with success
The election under our regulations must
afford as fair an expression of the choice of
the Democracy ascould be had at the reg.
ular election conducted by law andwitlfout
danger to- the good of the country. We
encourage the formation Of as many clubs
as possible, thus putting q voting precinct
within easy reachaof. s~say- citizen. and Sc
curing the fullest expression OF opinion
This we regard important. a voting pre-
cinct in each township will not answer, as
it is often too remote for many votersswho
have to walk to attend. In the eigKttSwn-
ships OF this county we now have twesty-
eight clubs, and at our last primary nearly
two thousand votes were cast our full Dem
ocratic strength.
Who can object to this plan? ItisIasare.
ly trial of the strength of the candidates
in the Democratic party. All thiA pa Nv
are permitted to vote. None but R5iiS&s
are excluded from the polls, for all Temo>
Gratis can join the clubs and vote. Tlh re-
suit among the Democratic candida& is
what it would have been at the eej sral
election. They stand relatively IS hey
would have then stood, for the rielarE is
held only short time before the rAaalsr
election, that the canvass may be.aho,oush
and the vote regarded as fixed. TbE3benss
ut is thls,s ,sthat without the primary hlstliS
Democrats at the regular election III sht
have been defeated, while the primary pits
the strongest against the Radical candidate
and prevents division of the cmo-
cratic vote. Have the candidates defeated
at the primary cause to complain They
ought rather to rejoice, for the result shbws
they would have been defeated anyway,
and perhaps also worked the defeat of {th.
er good Democrats. The plan is a good bne
and should be generally adopted.
"A green sportsman, after frui@ess
tramp, met boy with tears in his eyed 81
say, yonngstcr, is there anything to Aoot
around hero p The boy answered, '.foth.
In lust bout hore but thero's tho, oj),ool