The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1888-01-27
CONVENTION VS. PRIMARIES.

As there is eonsId cradle interest
felt, at this time, in the mode to be
adopted in the selection of democrat
ic candidates for county officers, and
feeling a daep interest in the we'll
fare Of the democratic party, l de-
sire to offer a few suggestions to
your readers, as well as to the demo
cratic committee on that subject
The resolution adopted by the coun>
ty convention in August, 1886, pre-
scented by Mr.. A. j, Coates, reads
as follows:
Resolved by the Democrats OF
Hardeman county, that hereafter
the Chairma and Secretary of the
County Democratic Executive COn-
mlttee, by and with the consent OF
said committee, are hereby author
lied and empowered to open and
hold primary elections at the sever
al voting places in the county, or
call a convention, for the purpose of
nominating democratic candidates
for the various county sficss,-said
primary elections to be held on the
first Saturday in July in the regular
election year.
X will be observed that this
resolution leaves 1t to the discrO.
ton Of the Democratic Executive
Committee to order either primary
election, or convention, but if the
com mittee should determine to Orv
Ger a primary election for candidates
it directs that it shall be held on
the frst Sa turday in July. Ii the
com zlittee should determine to Or
der primary election, it must be
held on the first Saturday in July /,
the time fixed by the convention.
AS to that matter, I do mot under
stand the com mitteS have any dis
crehon. But as the convention left
it to the committee to choose between
primary election and convention
1t is in order to discuss the question
as to which of these modes shall be
adopted. All will admit that that
mode should be adopted which il
best calculated to reflect tie will Of
the democrats of the county. As tc
which mode should be adopted, is 9
matter about which gentlemen Of
equal intelligence, and who are
equally interested in the welfare o.
the party, might disagree. While
1 admit that plausible argument
may be made In favor of the prima
| ~ election, yet, | believe that 6
convention composed of delegates
Ielscted by the democrats of The
various civil districts, at an election
to be held for that purpose, will be
more likely to reflect the sentiments
of majority Of the dem ocrats, thar
would a primary election. If there
we're only two candidates before thu
primaries for each office, 50 that the
voters could choose between thos,
two, I admit that primary election
would be more likely to reflect The
sentiments Of a majority of the voter
an would q convention, bat will
eight or ten candidates for each
place, and the candidate who receive
the highest number of votes cast 70
any one candidate is to be the nemi
nee Of the party, l can very wei
see that a candidate might be select
ed at the primaries who would ne
: be the choice of a majority of tn
party. Whereas, in a convention
no one could be nominated who dit
: Bot receive the support of a MAORI
: ~, or two-thirds, of the delegates il
5 convention. To illustrate, suPpos
there should be ten candidates fS
: nher if and there is likely to be a
2 least that number, and there are 200
votes cast. Nine candidates get 20
: votes each, and the other one get
2Ol votes, the candidate who get
the 20I votes is the nominee, an
the candidate of the party. lie zoe
: out as the candidate of the part
backed by POI vStes out of 9001.
Don't you see that such = state 4
affairs will b-eOd dissatisfaction
The nominee may be intact, yer.
diStasteful to the 1900 democrats VIII
did not vote for him. In convor
tioR, the delegates can confer Will
l each other and would be more like
" to make a choice which would b
acceptable to the party. The nsmi
: nee of tho convention would g
forth as the choice OF twe~thirds G
the representatives of the party
{ convention, and no one could b
= nominated who was net acceptable
, to the party as whole, beIisV
that delegated convention is th
best method ever yet adopted for tn
: selection Of party Candidates.
! You, Mr.. Editor, advocated tn
holding of delegated conventie