Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-07-27
Tho Best EIodo OF Nominating
Candidates and Forming Dom
ocratic Conventions.

CoLuME;A, July l3.-Two days since ]
gave Far.lai list Of tho candidates 70. some
ot he Important o.iccs III this State coup.
led with vaguc predictions ~ to who would
DC the successful competitors for the diff
erect positions. There is no change in the
attitude Of affairs, SO far us aul able to
Judge, but there arc several questions of
Importance connected with the manner OF
making nominations for Couercssncr which
are Just now engaging the attention Of the
pubic mind and are producing considcra-
be discus lou throughout the State.
Daring the rcccut extra session Of the
Gcucrs Assembly w,s asked By nun
bcr Of in!lucnt,l members Of that body to
urge the adoption OF the primary plan Of
'nal;!ns nominations especially with rcg1rd
70 Congressman Il is claimed that in this
way the real wishes Of the people could be
more certainly asceg!aincd, and the c1udi
dates 50 nominated would carry with them
4 strength thcY could by 10 other means
obtain Coming straight from the pcop!c
'hey would 90 into tho caInpnign with
strength that would be wcll--uis;h irIcsisti
bic AttGr the vote should be fully taken
at the primaries aud fairly counted, there
would be no room for the charges of trick
osy and fraud which arc so frequently ur,cd
against ordinary nominating conventions,
and defeated aspirauts would gracefully
submit TO tho result taking their places
quietly but firmly Ia the ranks Of tho party
aud working for the success Of the common
cause.
It is said BY some that the primary plan
0; nominating Congressman would create
TOO much confusion and occ1sion unncccasa
~ excitement III the country. There is
littIc force 10 such o. ccions. Tn the up
per counties of the State where tho nou.i~
nations ior county officers aud mem bcrs of
the Legislature have been made since 1876
hy the primary plan, only tic test results
have been obtained and tho unity Of the
party most successfully preserved No other
plan mas succeeded SO we'll No other p!an
could have 80 r'oIy welded the people to-
gcthrr, aud if, in Tie selection of nnlda.cs
to Ill the connty Offices the primary plan has
worried SO admirably, there is no good reason
why il should not also operate with equal
acc' p'ability upon larger scale and ia
cases where morc imporapat interests orc
involved. 10 DC sure the political canvass
would be made more lively aud the candi.
dates for Congressional honors would have
to give better evidence of their fitness for
oEico, but just in this very way would the
Interests OF the country be better sabscrvcd
and the strength OF tho party moro irmly
established.
If the candidates for Congress should bo
required to go before the people on the
stump, declare their positions on The :ar.
Gus important issues which will come before
them at Washington, and learn by practical
observation the real necessities of tho
country and SO DC instructed Us to the best
way 10 which to meet their high response
hilitIcs, there would be n better understand |
ing betwccn the people and their represent.
"tivcs and more just and wise settlement |
OF great pubic questions would nccccssa-
riiy be tho result. As it now stands the
Congressman arc known to comparatively |
lew OF their constituents, and moro than
half of the blundcrs that they have CON
m'tted may be traced to their ignorance of
the necessities Of the people.
ldo not SEQ htw it is possible to adopt
the primary plan of noa.!uatng Congress
ncn Tor tl'e n'St election. No plan has yet