The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1895-03-16

II folloBing IRON Ne Grsasda
Sentinel I dzmznssrzflBs Of - sitter
nPrzctIcssiIisy q ) Stats Primary
Election. The Tinz - - CO.
vinced frsn the Inssplzsu e -
erstchst that Il could not stuzd lnvss-
tigatisn-that q was sure % fall BY
Its own weight:
As is well known, the Sentinel al
ways advocated full, free and fair
expression Of every individual Demo
cratic voter In the matter OF selecting
party nominees. The Sentiuel had
hoped 10 see each individual Demo
crat vote hls individual choice In q
primary for State officers. But the
more the matter has been discussed,
the more the deiails incident 10 such .
stupendeus undertaking are considered
the more insupsrable seem the Difficult.
Ties. II 10 easy enough to have q pri-
mary fer . county or Congressional
nomination, but In the matter ofa pri-
mary for State officers, when II is con-
sidered that there are seventy five
counties aud the the fate Of at least enc
hundred candidates involved, with cou-
fiicting interests, coupled with the
whims and caprices ofseven,y-fve ex-
ecutive committees, a. veil as a State
Executive Committee, the undertaking
becomes at once startling.
Nor Is this all One candidate for .
State Office wants a plurality to ,mi-
nate; another candidate wsnts q ma
jority 10 nominate. Tho man whs
favors majority nomination urges
that plurality nomination Is not Dem
ocratic. The man who wants q plural
ity nomination urges that majority
nomination involves two or more pri-
maries, vexstious alike to the people
aud to the candidates. One candidate
wants the State primary h"ld in the
seventy.five counties ct the State on
the same day that the scveNty.fiv
counties OF tho State hold their pri-
msries TO nominate county aud legisla-
tive officers. Another candidate op-
poses this, alleging that It affords ep-
portuuities tor knitting aud trading.
The candidate who favors this, answers
by stating that the people cannot be
induced to attend two primaries In the
same year; If 90, they will lose interest
In the general election, and the Popu-
lItes will profit thereby at the pslls,
Another candidate urges that he 10 In
favor Of every white man In the State
voting whether he /, qualified elector
or not. Another candidate states, and
the constitution bears him out, that ne
man should be allowed TO vote In pri-
mary election any more than 81 arsg.
ular election, less he 10 q qualified
elector. Another candidate urges that
men who voted the Popullte ticket
last year, but who are willing to vste
the Democratic ticket this year, should
be allowed to participate In the prima.
ries. Another candidate says this
would break down the morale Of any
party In the world; that the ouly peo-
pie entitled TO participate In the noni'
nation OF Democratic standard.bearerl
this year are those who voted the
Democratic ticket last year.
Again, II is urged that In a State
primary even negroes might be voted
Some one has gone so far a. to suggest
that contests might be iutcrlnlnsble
aud that the same personnel OF the
State Executive COMMITTEES which
might order the primary, proxies being
allowed in the Executive Committee,
might not be the same personnel OF the
Executive Committee before which
contests might be heard, as other
proxies light then be represented III
the committee.
1t Is urged further that II the State
Executive Comlnitte should order a
primary upon the plurality or steeple.
chase plan, that in case there were five
candidates for Governor, and In case
10000 votes were polled, aud enc can
didate received 1o,050 votes, three
other candidates 10000 each, and the
fifth candidate $3.50, the candidate
receiving the l0,O5o would be the nom,
nee, albeit the opposition to him would
be Ss,950 votes.