The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-04-25
A Change Needed.

The method of nominating Democratic can
didates for State offices Is now agitating The
public mind. All the nominations are equiv
alent to an election, the method of making
the nominations is of primary importance
affecting not only the policy Of the Demo
cratic party, but the policy that shall contro
The nominations are now made by a con
vention composed Of delegates from each
county exactly equal in number to double
its representation In both branches Of the
Leglslature-there being 159 Senator'S and
Representatives, the convention will have 3ls
members.
"The present method of nominating has
been attended with constant and growing
discomfort, and we'll 1t may for under II
fifteen counties as with an aggregate white pop
l60 delegates, or majority Of the conventions
while nineteen other counties with an aggre
gate white population of 252,797 send only los
delegates. The fact that Beaufort county
with about 4sS white voters has eight dele
gates, while Spartanburg county with about
5,274 white voters has only ton delegates in
the convention presents in q most glarlng
light the injustice and inequality OF the modt
now in use.
Some change must be made. Nomination
by primary vote Is demanded by some
And 1t will not do TO say that primary Il
impracticable when we have had two success
full primaries to nominate candidates fol
Congress. A primary would be of invaluable
consequence In compelling candidates fol
State offices to carefully formulate and discuss
the policies that should prevail in the State
The chief objection to the primary plan Is
that its proposed adoption will provoke d.
verse and irreconcilable views from different
sections as to the qualifications Of the voter!
at the primary. That method, II limited tc
white voters, would reduce the influence o.
the counties with colored majorities to an eX
tent that would be impolitic, II not unjust.
In North Carolina. Georgia and other States
nominations are made by conventions com
posed of delegations from the counties based
on the Democratic vote Of the county at the
last gubernatorial election. This plan stimu
lates the citizens of each county to poll Its
full Democratic strength, which Is very desir
able. In North Carolina one delegate is allow
ed for $50 Democratic voters and fractions
over rs. If our nominating convention were
formed on combination of the principles
which now exist and those prevailing In
North Carolina IL would approximate much
| nearer to justice and would likely dispel al
further discomfort.
1t is suggested. therefor. that each count!
be allowed as many delegates in the conven
tion as 1T has members in the House of Rep
resentatives, and then add to this one delegate
| for each 800 white voters or 5000 white popu
lation-by the census OF 1S8O.for the mex
nominating convention, and thereafter one
delegate for every 300 white votes cast in the
preceding gubernatorial election. This would
increase the membership OF the convention
to about, 81 members and distribute then
among the counties as follows: Abbeville l3
Aiken -, Anderson 10, Barnwell II, Beaufor
4, Berkeley Q, Charleston %, Chester s. Chester
field s, Clarendon 3. Colleton IS, Darlington IL
Edgeheld I, Georgetown 4, Greenville l9
Hampton 7, Horny s, Kershaw s, Lancaster I
Laurens 10, Lexington 9, Marion IA, Marlboro
II, Newberry s, Oconee 8, Orangeburg 13
Pickens 8, Richland II. Spartanburg q Sumter
10, Union 10, Williamsburg 6, York l3.
This plau is respectfully submitted for tht
consideration Of the approaching State con
vention.-Chester Reporter.
THE Press and Banner is for the primaries
first, last, and all the time, A nomin alton II
equivalent to an election, and If the voter Il
denied the right to take part in the election
he is disfranchised, and he has no inhuenc,
at all In the political party of which he ii
nominal member. To say that we eanno
have State primary is equivalent to saying
that we cannot have q State election. Tht
law in one instance governs. The State Ex
ecut!ye Committee would govern in the other
ard the same rule would apply to all.