The Russellville Democrat., 1890-04-24
The Judicial Imbr0glIo.

The Judicial ImbrOglIo.
 In another column correspondent. ''B" censures the executive commit tee of this district for referring judi cial nominations to primary elec- tions. He charges that such action was an usurpatIon of authority un- precedented, and proceeds to read them a lecture altogether unmerit- ed. We know from the complexion of the committee that they were actuated by the very best of motives. No one would like to see a recur- renee of what took place in the last convention. If the several counties should have held conventions or primary elections for the purpose of instruetihg their delegates an other deadlock would have been one of the possibilities, even, probabili- ties of the next judicial convention. To avoid such contingency was the chief object of the committee. It is too transparent for our correspond cut to plant his objection to the action of the committee on the ground that it savers of "bossism." There is not political boss or ring ster in the land who is not an in yeterate enemy of. primary elections. Bosses and tricksters can manip- nlate conventions, and frequently do. They meet in caucus, select their officers and committees, and the wishes of the bosses are carried out to the letter. It is frequently the case conventions are made up and packed by partizan friends, the proceedings are riotous and people not accustomed to such proceedings leave in disgust. Another favorite method of thwaring the people when the opposition is considered formidable, is to either hold the con
 vention before the masses arrive or put it off to such late hour that weary Of waiting they leave. These are few of the political workings of the convention system which our correspondent tells Us he has always been an avowed advocate.
 Primary elections are free from these objections. The polls are open throughout the day. The masses come and go at their pleasure. Three men vote where one attends convention. The Nominations are in tho party and in the diffusion "bossIsm" loses it's influence. They support at the polls the nominee, whether he was their choice or not, because they have confidence Tn the Impartiality of the method by which the nomination was made, and rec ognizing the fact that had they got ten their choice they would have in sisted on the opponents of their choice supporting him, for what 8 man would require of others, he recognizes, under like circumstances, the right of voters to require of him.
 One of the objections offered to the primary plan IS that It is un- democratic in that it does not con form to the methods of our fathers. There are many things history and tradition tell us our forefathers did which aIe not in vogue to day. And the majority convention plan as now adopted is one of them. The old time-honored democratic usage was the two third rule, under which a strong man could always be nom mated.
 Another objection is that when there are more than two candidates under the primary plan we have to take plurality candidate, while in the convention we always have a majority candidate. This is a mis- take, Most frequently the candi- dates put out by conventions are merely the personal preference of a bare majority of the delegates composing the convention, and | perhaps the weakest man of all | before the people. Frequently con ventions come to a deadlock, dele. gates become stubborn and leave out of consideration the merits of candidates. 1t requires no artful logic to demonstrate that under the primary plan, and not by the convention method, is the best maintained.
 Our correspondents chief conten. ton is thatf the committee usurped authority. Whatever else may be charged to them certainly the charge of usurpation cannot be sustained An usurper is defined as bsing one who seizes and holds by force or without right the power of another. What power did the committee usurpr It mere Iy referred the judicial nominations to the popular will of the party,