The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-01-28
LET 1T BE a DIRECT PRIMARY.

If there was any ono "reforin" that
candidate Tillman clanored for more
than another it was change from the
existing plan Of nominating State officers
by State Convention composed Of dele
gates appointed by the County Couyen-
tions 10 direct primary by the people
fer ali officers. The Convention systow,
as he rightly claimed, was fruitful Of
ringism, bossis!n, pate-nalisn, etc, and
had a tendency to keep the State Offices
in the hands Of the favored few-our
government having !,cco.no something
of "fa'nily affair, as it wore"
We then endorsed, as we 10 now, tic
dcn,aiid that each voter be allowed the
right to cast his ballot directly for tho
man he wishes to bo dominated as Gov
ernor. There existed tho mood Of a gen
uino reform in this thing, and there is no
wonder that the promise Of changing .l.o
law go as to enable each man to exercise
directly his suffrage as free and intclIi-
gent citizen was received with applause
and qualification. Tho people demanded
the change then. They demand it to-day.
If thcro is any one protoisc which Gov
crnor Tillman made which he and his
party seem determined not to fulfill it is
that meritorious ono which pledged
chang Sc from the Convention system of
nominating State officers to one giving
the people the right to vote for candidates
for State Offices directly, from Governor
down.
In 1890 the dominant clen1ont, who had
then captured the whole machinery of
the Democratic party, failed to stand by
the pledge they had given the people that
the successor of Gov. Richardson should
be nominated by a primary election.
The "reform'' Governor, therefore, was
nominated ny packed Convention. The
promise was then made that in 1892 the
primary plan should como into operation.
It is now 1892, and the people have been
deceived in this matter as in many others.
The Executive Committee, composed
almost altogether of the Governors fol-
| lowers, has ordered that a primary be
held to elect delegates to 60 to Convcn-
ton in July to nominate State officers.
| The only difference between the old and
the new plan is that the delegates will
now be elected by primary instead Of
by the County Conventions. This moans
to say that the Executive Committee ad-
NIT that the people have sense enough TO
vote for men to go to Columbia to do
their voting for them, but haven't sense
enough to vote for State officers them
selves. The difference between primary
for State officers and primary for dele.
gates is the broad difference between
success and defeat Glover Cleveland
would now be President of the United
States had the people been allowed 20
vote directly for their President, for he
received a majority of the popular vote
cast. A Convention elected Ben. Harri-
son.
There is to be Convention Of the peo-
pie in Columbia in May next. Senator
Irby says this Convention cannot change
the rules established by his Committee,
because, forsooth! the Convention is not
called for that purpose. The Constitu-
ton of the party provides, says he, that
the Convention be. called for specific pur-
poses, and therefore cannot do more than
is contemplated by that provision. That
is nonsense. The Convention (Which
represents the people and the people are
the partly can remodel the Constitution,
or abolish it and adopt another one. How,
then, is the decree of the Irby Committee
like tho law of the Medes and the Per-
SLAMS, unchangeable? 1t is not. The
people now demand, have demanded for
years, direct primary for State officers,
and it is time that their voice was needed.
Anderson County will be entitled to
| twelve delegates in this May Convention.
We urge them, whoever they may be, TO
insist that the people be allowed the right
to vote directly for the men who are to
fill the places of honor, trust and emolu-
ment in the State as the rulers and gov
ernors Of the people.
The Irby Committee is the creature of
a Convention. The created is not more
| powerful than the creator. IF proper
steps be taken by the May Convention
the Executiqe Committees rules may bo
changed SO as to give tho people what
they were promised and what they have
long demanded-a primary direct for the
nomination of State officers.