The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-04-12
The Primary Farce.

The latter-day invention called n primary
election, is one of those devices of polite
ians.toeyade Unpopular Judgment and edge
aspirants into positions which might never
be assigned them by the free will of the
people. The complaint has been and is,
that we have.too.many elections under the
laws, yet oflice-seekers are not satisfied
with the loss Of time imposed by the le-
gal requirements for the organization and
control of government, State, county and
municipal. They concoct scheme of
their own in the name of the p-a-r-t-y, and
not the laacs or the people, by which the
voters are invited to leave their business
and come to the polls to serve the ambi-
tons Of individuals and not the public
welfare. They call it primary election,
but it should be, as more proper, desig-
mated q Primary Farce. The people never
attend them. Only q few interested par
tizans feel any interest in the arrange
ment, and the result is generally, that as
pirants, through this means, are fastened
upon the party, whom the people would
not have chosen at q regularly appointed
legal election.
At the Primary Election held in this
county last Saturday, not more than one
third OF the qualified voters took any part
in it. The great mass of the people
showed their contempt for it by remain
ing from the polls, reserving the right and
privilege of voting for whom they please
on the day of election, appointed by law.
And we think this is good time for the
PEOPLE to enter their protest against
the politicians who have had the effront-
cry to devise a plan outside Of the law by
which the control and administration of
county affairs, are involved, by defeating
every one OF the primary nominees. There
| was no expression Of public sentiment last
Saturday, as to whom the people wanted
to fill the various offices brought in ques-
ton, and it is reasonable to suppose that
| the voters have reserved their right to give
| that expression at the ballot-box at the
time the law prescribes for recording the
popular will. Were the PEOPLE to de-
termine that they have sense enough and
interest enough involved to attend to their
own business as the law requires, by plac-
ing their veto on the Primary Farce and
the creatures of it, it would be a fitting re-
buke to the effrontery Of the planners of
this scheme, and teach them statutory
lesson they would not soon forget.
Where was the fault to find with James
Bumgardner, as Commonwealth Attor-
ney? He has been faithful, fearless and
able prosecutor. The great mass of the
people regard him as such, and have no
| desire to see him leave the position he has
so well and acceptably filled for years. 1t
is no disparagement to Mr.. White-whose
qualifications for the position all recog-
| nize-to say that the vote cast last Satur-
day was not a true reflection of public
sentiment, nor could he take exception if
the two-thirds vote that did not partici-
pate in the primary farce, should decide to
record their wishes independent of and in
| opposition to the fraud of the It'll. Let
them do this by the election of James
Bumgardner to the position of Common
wealth's Attorney, the duties of which he
has discharged so fairly, justly and ably, in
spite of any protest from him and in vim
dication of the right of the people to at
tend to their own business, without the
Intervention of a partizan device, outside
OF the law and having no sanction either
in public policy OF legal requirements.