The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-05-27
THE DISPATCH AND THE STATE ON
A PRIMARY.

ra,nc urinary or a convention Is one
we can hardly discuss with due patience
| II says:
! .cvye hel,eve that the sanction OF the
| Democracy OF Richmond VIII De nearo'y
| given to the convention system II IL can
10 shown that IL will probably give US
stronger legislative ucke' 'nan
| expect as the result OF primary
The rest Of It's article is almost an arsu-
ment for a convention.
what f. the use of this sort OF argu-
| rnent? OF course the people will sanction
the convention plan II It can be shown
that II will probably give us the best
ticket. This is nothing but another mode
| OF saying that the people want TO De
represented in the best way possible, ana
that is a statement that needs hardly 10
be made. But the Dispatch has seen how
conventions are favored in Richmond as
often as other people. and IL knows that
conventions never express the VIII OF the
people when great contests are on hano'
II knows that on such occasions the ward
meetings that send delegates TO the con-
vention are always packed in some IN
terest. and that no other interest is given
any hearing in them. We have had eX-
perlence enough, therefore. with conven-
tions for us all TO know perfectly well
that it cannot be shown that one will give
us a better ticket than the primary Will
give us.
We had a convention at the last guber-
material nomination. A gentleman who
attended the ward meeting in Madison
ward that appointed delegates to 1t told
us yesterday that fully seyenty-five per
cent Of the persons In the hah were Tor
one candidate, but. when the managers
Of the meeting had finished manipulating
| II. that candidate did not have a single
delegate to the convention.
Another gentleman who attended the
Clay ward meeting told rs that the nail
In which the meeting was held could not
| possibly have accommodated more than
2OO persons, though there were something
| like 1900 voters in the ward. That men,
unknown generally would cast VOTE
| go across the street and get glass OF
beer, return and cast another vote. VINO
ever has attended one of these ward
meetings knows that few self-respecting
citizens can be induced to attend them
at all. and that If they do 30 they are
invariably hustled TO one side and
cut and dried programme is always voted
through unanimously by the heelers
brought there for the purpose. or all
travesties on government by the people
the most ridiculous is the ward meeting
in large city.
The State. in its Thursday evening arti-
Gle. still Celebrates the expense PROPOSE
ton. 1t says that in 1851, one of our most
prominent citizens was prevailed on
against his will. to become a candidate in
the primary for the Legislature. Being
in and having his blood up he determined
that he would not be beaten and spent
his money so freely that it cost him
large sum. Now we say we are glad 1T
did, and that as he had to depend upon
money to get his election, we wish 1t had
cost him great deal more, and we Will
not give up the primary because that
method costs unpopular men large sums
to secure elections. But we can tell the
State that in the primary Of 1891 to choose
members Of the Legislature. a gentleman
who was near the top Of the ticket spent
less than SIS. And we tell the State fur
Their that money will not secure the cleo
ton of unpopular men in the primaries,
over popular men. 1t is the popular man
who is elected in the primary and not the
man who spends most money
The State argues that the money can
didates spend in primary elections de-
bauthes the people We have had good
deal of experience with primary elections
and we can declare candidly that outside
of expenses of meetings, hack hire, EN-
ployment of ticket holders and such ex-
penses, we know of but little money that
can be effectively used in them. 1t is i'm
possible to get at any large number Of
individual voters, and the only persons
therefore that can be bought are the
officers of election. If we cannot protect
ourselves against dishonesty in these then
| popular government is a failure But we
tell the State further, after good deal
Of experience with ward meetings and
conventions, that the ward meeting is the
place where money is spent and voters
debauched. The money is spent in pack
ing the ward rooms with heelers and toe
warmers. and the destruction Of the morale
of the people comes from seeing money
thus turn these elections into a farce.
The primary is the Democratic method
OF governing according TO the will OF the
people in which each individual is given
an opportunity TO express his unbiased
choice freely and without molestation.
The ward meeting and convention are the
method for suppressing the voice and
choice of the people under forms that
profess TO attend TO them while stranging
them and excluding them absolutely from
all participation in final action.
We must have primary. Let the peo-
pie speak
|
FOREIGN TRADE AND GOLD.
| Under this caption n Chicago contennno-