Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-02-17
A NEM pLAN PROPOSED.
For Eliminating the senatorial Contest
From Local Politics Entirely.

4 or eliminating the SenatOriai OoueNSN
From Local Politics Entirely
10 us Editor Of ne REGISTER:
SIR:-A suggestion in regard to the
coming contest for United States Sena-
tor might not be out of place. Much
| has been, and much more will be, sald
as 10 this contest. 1t will, no doubt, In
many sections. engender bad blood IN
| the Democratic ranks and invite defeat.
Between two or more Democrats asking
10 oe elected TO the United States Sen
ate, no principles affecting the party In
any manner are involved. All the con-
teStants being Democrats, advocate the
principles of the Democratic party, ana
hence il is purely personal matter: OF
a matter of personal preference. why
should this contest, then, be allowed 10
force itself into local politics, and 1eop-
ardizs the success of the Democratic
party? Why should aSpirants for this
position be permitted through their
friends, or otherwise, to enter SENATOR
al aud county conventions to sow the
seeds OF discord, disSenSiOn and de1eat!
Every candidate for the House OF Dele
gates is required, sooner or later, to de-
clare himself in favor OF Camden or
Faulkner, for instance, for Senator. III
he says ne is for Mr.. Camden, then Mr..
Faulkner and his friends are dissatls-
fed or lukewarm, il they do not, In
fact, endeavor TO encompass his defeat.
Should he declare for Mr.. Faulkner,
then the tables are turned and the scene
reversed. II he holds himself aloot ana
declares for neither the cry Is speedliy
raised that he is carrying water on ooth
shoulders, which is equally fatal In It's
results. The candidate for the House
is thus driven to the wall, and no mat
ter what course he pursues, he alienates
a large part of his following, when IN
close counties means inevitable DEFEAT
He is thus handicapped by his friends,
and no matter what he does or whlch
way he turns he At last finds himself
In the same p0Sition-"oetWeen tne
devil and the deep sea-" There Is no
use in Disgusting the fact that the
Democrats will have a willy foe TO hght'
IL is highly important that we nave
no diScOrd, SiSSeEsiOn nor divlSlonln our
ranks. Mr.. ElkinS is the power oehinu
the Republican throne, and the undls-
puted leader CT his party. We have al
ready received notice, and know luli
well, that every effort, fair or foul, Will
be made to wrest West Virginia from
her Democratic moorings.
The question then arises, how can
this senatorial matter be settled, and
effectually removed, so that 1t cannot
be a discordaut element in local politics?
Now for the suggestion: Why not let
the Democratic State Convention settle
this matter? 1t meets to say who snail
be the candidate for Governor, and for
all the other places to be filled on the
State ticket. Why not go one step
u Their, aud say who sha be the candl-
uate for United States Senator? why
not serve notice now, on all parties con-
cerned, that this matter viii be brought
before the State Convention for hnal
settlement? III the candidates for the
SenatorShiD desire "to try their metal
If they have any ideGof attempting TO
manipulate county con yentiOns, let their
efforts in that line be directed to
the selection of the delegates to the
State Convention, when this matter
should be decided; and thus remove
forever this vexed question from the
domain Of local politics. just as well
decide il in the manner indicated, as
by a legislative caucus 10 would, no
doubt, be less expensive for the candl-
dates than 4 protracted tight IN the
halls of the legislature II would be
lust as fair co all parties, and much
more satisfactory TO every Democrat In
the State. This experiment has been
successfully tried in Illinois, when MI
Palmer was selected by the State Con-
veutiOn for Senator, and, as lar as
known, il has given entire satisfaction.
What Is the difference anyway between
= caucus OF the members OF the Legs
lature and a State Convention? The
only difference is, that the State Con-
vention Is the larger caucns--comes
nearer the people, and would be more
satisfactory. 1t might be said that
State Convention has no power nor au-
thOrity 10 bind a legislative body.
The answer is, why cannot the
Democratic members be bound,
lust as we'll by aDemOcratic State caucus,
aS by a caucus of their own members?
The binding force of convention or
caucus comes by agreement and consent
of the parties in interest anyway. BY
agreement aud consent, the State Con-
vention could and would have as much
binding force as a caucus. Legislative
caucuses do not always bind either. We
had an ilIustrious example or some
"kicking" a few years ago, which came
very near being fatal to the party. So
there is as much binding force In one
case as the other.
But there is another argument OF i'm
portauce, which seems to the writer
conclusive on this subject. A short
time ago the Democrats and Republi-
cans in the Legislature were so evenly
divided that the Democrats had but one
majority. IL devOlyed on the Demo-
cratic half 10 meet in caucus and select
candidate for the United States,
Senate. In such caucus only one