Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-04-25
From the Chester Reporter.
A CHANGE NEEDED.

The method OF nominating Demo-
cratic candidates for State offices is
now agitating the public mind. AS
the nominations arc equivalent to an
election, the method of making the
nominations is of primary import
ance, affecting not only the policy Of
the Democratic party, but the policy
that shall control the State.
The nominations are now made by
a convention composed of delegates
T from each county exactly equal In
number to double its representation
in both branches of the Legislature.
There being l59 Senators and Rep.
resentatives, the convention will
have 3l8 members.
The present method of nonina-
ting has been attended with constant
and growing discomfort, and well it
may; for under it fifteen counties
with an aggregate white population
of 1873, 1903, by the census of 1880, sent
100 delegates or a majority of the
conventions; while nineteen other
counties with an aggregate white
population Of 252,797 sent only 15e
delegates. The fact that Beaufort
county with about 488 white voters
has eight delegates, while Spartan
burg county with about 5,274 white
voters has only ten delegates in the
convention presents in most glar.
ing light the injustice and inequali.
ty of the mode now in use.
Some change must be made. Nom.
ination by a primary vote is demand.
ed by some. And it will not do to
say that primary is impracticable
when we have had two successful
primaries to nominate candidates for
Congress. A primary would be OF
invaluable consequence in compel.
ing candidates for 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 diverse and
irrecOncilable views from different
sections as to the qualifications OF
voters at the primary. That meth.
cd. if limited to white voters, would
reduce the influence of counties with
colored majorities to an extent that
would he impolitic, if not unjust.
In North Carolina, Georgia and
other States nominations are made
by conventions composed of delega.
tions from the counties based on the
Democra ic vote of the county at the
last gubernatorial election. This
plan stimulates the citizens of each
county to poll its full Democratic
strength, which is very desirable,
In North Carolina one delegate is al
lowed for $50 Democratic voters and
fractions over Is. flour nominating
conventions were formed on com.
bination of the principles which now
exist and those prevailing in North
Carolina it would approximate much
nearer to justice and would likely
dispel all further discomfort.
Its suggested, therefore, that each
county he allowed as many delegates
in the convention as it has members
in the House of Representatives, and
then add to this one delegate for each
800 white voters or 1900 white popu.
lation-by the census of 18S0-for the
next nominating convention, and
thereafter one delegate for every 900
white votes cast in the preceding gu
bernatorial election. This would in.
crease the membership of the conven.
tion to about 81 members and dis
tribute them among the counties as
follows: Abbeville 13, Aiken II, An.
derson l6, Barnwell IA, Beaufort 4,
Berkeley 9, Charleston %, Chester 8,
Chesterfield s, Clarendon 6, Colleton
l3, Darlington 12, Edgefeld Is, Fair
field I, Georgetown 4, Greenville 10,
Hampton 7, Horny 8, kershaw 8,
Lancaster, Laurens 10, Lexington 9,
Marion II, Marlboro 7, Newberry 8,
Oconee 8, Orangehurg l3, Pickens 9,
Richland II, Spartanburg 81, Sumter
10, Union 10, Williamsburg 8, York
13.
This plan is respectfully submitted
for the consideration ofthe approach
ing State convention.