Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-20
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 20, 1895.
A EouIt in the Primary flnh'


A. aa understand the method adop'eu
nv the City Democratic Comnllt'ee 'o'
arranging the charter amehui'ehS
he primary ticket. there IS u.0'N.'
advantage given the advocates OF '"e
changes proposed. uod
Tho offices as 10 which 1t Is propose"
W onnlv the changes will be ranged Nv
,oraIng to their titles in one column anu
,be voter will be asked TO strike iio'''
,bie list such offices as he THINKS s"o"'u
,ot he interfered with. The result VI
his will be that wherever a VOTER w
,ore,essness or Indifference. fais 10
,,r,ka off the name Of any office he VIII
Do regarded as having voted TO a''e"N
he charter with respect to that o'hee
This ought not to be. The carelessnesS
- voters should not be made TO count
n favor of the ndng propositions ~
,,cb fairer way would be to take an
ave" and mo" vote-that Is, TO require
Zach voter TO mark aye" or no OPP
,osite the title Of each office In quesuoh'
rhen where the title of an once was
not marked. the mans vote would ho'
NJ counted either way as to that particu-
ar Office
The committee holds that the primary
.lectjon plan, having been once recon
,,dered. cannot be again reconsiuereu'
mn while this is true as parliamentary
milo il is equally true that legislative
,owar can always repeai any bill or reso-
,tion that IL has passed. save only
where rights have become vested 'here-
under. II is well known that the DIS
match is not a stirrer up OF STRIFE III iS
Marty or elsewhera. and that AFTER we
make a fight we always accept the result
IN GOOD temper. but in this matter-ih
tho Arrangement we complain Oft is
so clear that Injustice will be done we
should be Sinking plain duty II w
failed 10 call attention TO IL.
The object aimed at in supmitt'hs
those amendments to the vote or our
,eonle Is TO ascertain as Enthusiastically
90 may he whether 1t is the desire Of
he Democrats OF Richmond that 'he
,ity charter be SO amended as that
number Of Offices that are now filled by
The city Council shall hereafter be
filled by the direct vote Of the people.
What is wanted Is the real opinion OF
tbe neonle. but this will not be certainly
obtained II the noes" Of thousand
thoughtful and intelligent men who nave
carefully considered the subject are on
set by the carelessness Of thousand
Dther men who have not taken the
trouble to read their tickets at all.
Either the City Committee must AFTER
his feature of its plan or incur the risn
IF having the accuracy OF the results
called into question.
There is plenty Of time to repeal the
primary election plan and adopt ne"
one correcting all errors OF Whatever
sort that may be pointed out.
No advantage should be given either
the friends or opponents OF the proposed
changes. They ought TO be put upon
level. The wishes OF the voters shouiu
be ascertaned az unerringly as possible
The titles of the offices as to which char
ter amendments are proposed shouid De
disnlaved In one column; the title OF
each office to occupy one line, and the
voter to put at the end OF the Inc
"yea" Tor yes). or no" accordingly
as he favors or disfavors the amendment
proposed with reference to that Office.
In this way as in no other way the
sense Of the people may be accurately
ascertained. No room would then be
left for questioning. But by the present
plan there is much reason to fear that
the votes Of men who have not even
taken the trouble TO read through the
list Of names OF offices to be voted on
will be counted as in favor of the amend
soeufa