The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-14
Primary Elections for all Offices.

We publish in another colum:
what cur respected contemporary
the Newbecry Observer, says in sd
vocacy CT nominating State officer
and Congressman by primary elec
tions.'
! Whilst We sympath;zc most heart
lily with the primary election plan
wherever it can be efIectually used
We do not see how i will do for tht
nomination Of State officers. Itscem<
to US that the only way il which the
people Of whole State can efectual
ly move together is in 4 State Con
ventioD.
Should the people in their pr!ma,
ries choose their own delegates to
represent them in the general con.
sultation for naming the candidates,
would not this most efiectually con,
suit the popular wish ?
On the contrary, with primaries
held ali over the State for the nom
nation Of State officers. would it not
be next to impossible to get that con
centration Of sentiment among the
people necessary 10 make ajudicious
choice? In all likelihood there
would be swarm ofaspirants. In
der these circumstances, and the plu-
rality rule being necessary to any
choice at all. we see that the whole
thing would be mere matter CT ac'
cident. The fortunate candidate. OBJ
tanning only the support Of q hand
fll, might be very unfit man, and
one who would have stood no chance
at all before the people in direct
competition with any one OF the de-
feated candidates.
If this be possible, the primary is
not a safe method Of making the Sc
lection OF State officers.
Let the delegates come to q State
Convention chosen directly by the
people in their primaries, and we
can't see q safer more conservative
and surer way Of getting just such
men nominated as the people them
selves want.
There is 10 use for the interven-
ton Of Z county convention here at
all. Let the people elect and send
rhitLer their own delegates responsi.
bic directly to them. Now, for all
county offices, members Of the Leg
islature, and perhaps members OF
Congress, it might be highly desira'
bic to have q direc; popular vote in
making the nominations, tantamount
to an election.
We may appear 20 be inconsistent
in advocating the primary plan fol
tile Offices indicated whilst fayorine
the convention plan for the State
offices. We do not mean to be So
We recognize here a difference in
degree, which is an essential thing in
itself. 1t may be possible TO have
fair consultation, by the people in
county, or even in 4 Congressional
District. which would not be possible
to the people Of the whole State in
the choice of q State officer. And il
we attempt to choose by primaries
we would be obliged to accept the
plurality rule. il order to get any Sc.
lection at all. Otherwise there might
be no determinate result reached, and
it might reqrire two or three or more
votings before the choice was made.
Now in default Of the people being
able to consult each other over the
State. the result would be to have q
slate fixed up between the most un'
scrupuious and self-seeking politi'
clans, who would agree to work TO-
cether SUI rosa and thus impose on
the popular choice men OF their own
ilK. The word would be whispered
round. certain men yoked in, and the
people would vote the foregone
ticket blindly.
This is the way we lool; at it, and
as We want the true popular choice
or men who really and truly are
more thoroughly alongside of the
best interests and sympath;es Of the
people. we are constrained to tnlnk
that State convention composed OF
delegates chosen by The people in
their primaries. is that plan wAlc4
will more faithfully express the pop
ular wish in selecting candidates iol
the State offices. We are not after
serving tie interests Of any set o.
men. We are only intent on that
which will best express the true pop
ular wish in every case.
With tie greatest respect for tht
intelligent opinion Of our Newberr5
contemporary, we yetcannOt but think
that such q State convention as We
have indicated will iIoSt subservc TIC
!, l.