The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-09
Primary Elections.

This question is attracting much
attention at present, especially in the
upper counties. An effort will be
made for primary elections not only
in the choice Of county officers, but
for the nomination of Congressional
and State officials as we'll, and in
some of the Districts the Democratic
County Cbairmen have been request
ed to consider what arrangements
will be necessary in making this
change.
We are not sure that the people
would, if the plan were adopted, en-
dorse it second time, The ma.
chinery Of elections involves consid.
erable expense and time, and where,
as would almost always be the case,
two or three would have to be held
to decide the nomination, the burden
of expense would be heavy; and
while the results would, apparently,
indicate the will of the people that
would not necessarily be the case.
Suppose in the contest for Congress
sional honors in a district with five
counties, there should be candidate
from each one. Nine-tenths of the
voters would most apt cast their bal.
lots for the candidates of their re-
spective counties; and the result
would of course, be no nomination.
A second primary is ordered, all the
candidates being ruled out except
the two receiving the highest number
of votes, and they would with tolera.
BILE certainty be from the two most
populous counties. The voters in
the three counties which have no
candidates would to certain extent
stay home, and the matter of norni.
mating a candidate for the District
would be left to two counties. with
the chances all in favor Of the larger
one. SO we see that there are seri-
Gus objections to primaries even out
side the questions of expense and
time. which will initiate against
their unanimous adoption; and we
are confident that District Conven-
tion composed of representative dele
gates would please larger numbe: of
the voters than primary would
whenever large number Of candi-
dates. were before the people; and
not because the delegates knew bet
ter than the people how to vote but
for the simple reason that the people
cannot get together and vote as can
the delegates.
In county matters it is different.
The people know, by reputation at
least, all the candidates; they are
personally interested in having
county officials whom they like, and
in whom they have confidence. and
will work and vote for them as ear
nestly in the second as the first pri-
mary. We think with proper regula.
tiops, the primary system is the fair
est by which candidates can be nom
mated for county officers, but for
Judicial Congressional or State nom-
! nations it would be a delusion and Il
snare. mainly from the fact that the
machinery for the same would be too
cumbersome and expensive, and Incl.
dentally-from the latter cause-be.
cause the people would not give The
attention necessary to so important
q matter.
Still if the people want primaries
they ought to have them, lfthey are
willing to give the needed time and
money absolutely required for carry
ing them out properly, no man should
say them nay--but we are not at all
sure they want them, except for
county nominations.
We will outline plan in our next
issue which will combine both the
primary and convention plan, and
wAioh will eliminate the more ohjcc
tionable features of both.-Sumte,
| Wutckman dad ,South'oa.
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Religious Fanaticism.