The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-07-04
DEAL FAIR WITH CANDIDATES.

DR.. Sampson Pope, a candidate for
the Office of Governor of South Car
olina, is out in card in the Colum-
bia Register, demanding fair play
at the hands of the faction of the
Democratic party to which he has
pledged allegiance. He justly COM
plains, we think, of the action of the
Reformers in holding separate pri-
mary and endorsing particular candi-
dates, thus forestalling the elec,
ton and defeating the very object
for which the system was adopted
and rendering such election delu-
sion and farce.
The Dispatch is on record as op-
posing this endorsing business before
the primary is held as wrong in
principle and manifestly unfair to
the other candidates who 60 into the
race trusting solely on their merits
to carry them through. It is areason-
able conclusion that candidate en-
ters the race for the. Office to which
he aspires with the distinct under
standing that he is to have fair play;
that his competency and fitness for
that position will be duly considered
by an impartial and untrammelled
jury of his fellow citizens, which, in
this instance, is the voter, and to Sc
cure this privilege he pledges him
self to abide the result of such pri-
mary, and under these considera-
jions, and from other we'll established
and clearly defined principles in
volved in this connection, it seems to
US, in order that justice may be done
all the candidates, and the integrity
and good name of the Democratic
party be honored and revered among
all liberty loving people, and that
there should be no good cause for a
spirit of dissatisfaction to be en-
gendered among the different can
didates and their friends, it is the
duty of the Democratic Executive
Committee of the several counties to
exert it's best endeavors and, if neces-
sary, to use the power and authority
conferred upon it by the constitu-
tion of the State Democratic party
to put stop to and prevent this
reprehensible and pernicious prac-
tice and growing evil of endorsing
men for Office. We contend that
the only proper way and place to en-
dorse candidate, under ordinary
circumstances, is with the ballot at
the polls on the day in which the
primary election is held.
If we are to have a primary elec-
ton to select our candidates, let US
have it untrammelled by the inAu-
ence of endorsed candidates; if not,
let US return to the convention sys-
tenn and thereby manfully acknowl-
edge that popular government is
a delusion and snare, and that
the individual members of the Dem
ocratic party, are, by reason of their
imbecility and obtuseness, totally in
competent to be entrusted with the
exercise of the dearest and most
sacred trust transmitted to freemen
by the conceivers and founders Of
our Republican form Of government
the right of suffrage.
Again, the endorsement system is
reflection upon the intelligence of
the individual voter. It questions
the honesty of purpose of the clubs
to deal fairly with all the candi-
dates, and is an open acknowl-
edgment of weakness of the can
didate SO endorsed. Let equal
rights to all and special pri-
vileges to none," be put into practi-
cal operation by the Reformers Of
the State in dealing with candidates
for offices as we'll as in regard to their
business interest.