Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-01-22
THE PRIMARY.


Inc Democratic Executive Commit
Tee OF this city last week, decided to
noio primary election to nominate
candidates for the various city offices.
This action will be extolled by some
and denounced by others.
hing rulo"will be shouted and oppro-
brious epithets hurled at the Commit
tee by the enemies of democracy.
whilst all true democrats will be Dc
lighted to see the party tffro wing on
the cerements of the tomb and awaken
ing again iato life. The democrats
viii De reminded of the severity OF
t the impending defeat and the stupid
ity of their course; but they know that
those who shout loudest are the poor
est democrats and hope by denuncia
ton to deceive and catch unwary
voters.
If man is democrat, should he be
ashamed of it?
If the democratic party is the dom
inant party in Staunton, on what
ground should it be denied control OF
the city, or refuse to assert itself2
Is free for-all fight with Dick, Tom.
and Harry in the race a surer way to
obtain good officers than for the peo-
| pie of respectable party to select
them from amongst their most worthy
members?
Isa self-chosen candidate more like
| ly to be honest than one selected by
the reputable members of political
organization?
Are there not as good men in the
democratic ranks as in the republican?
If the democrats should elect mem
beers of their party to fill the offices
now occupied by republicans, would
they be likely to select worse material?
Would not the republicans take
every office in the city, if they had a
chance to do so?
Why then should the democrats be
denounced for what the republicans
would do under similar circumstances?
That the democrats haye held no
primaries for years, has given the city
no better government than it would
otherwise have had. That repuhli
cans have sometimes voted for demo
Gratis or vice ceasG, or that occasionally
republican acceptable to the people
has been chosen to Office in this city,
argues no surrender of democratic
identity, any more than it argues a
total abandonment of democratic
principles. The chief trouble that has
yet appeared comes through the
mouths of certain would-be candidates
and known republicans or has been
inspired by democratic enemies. If
any true democrat has, for the time,
been beguiled into the belief that the
Committee has acted unwisely. he
need but look at those who condemn
its action to see that he is in strange
company.
We have had no democratic organi-
cation for SO many years that demo
Gratis have drifted away from their
principles, and their enemies will not
let them return. Yet in all this time
the burden of official conduct has been
laid upon the democratic party, with
out that party's being responsible for
the election of a single officer
There is a vast difference between a
democrat in Office and democratic Of
fcer; the one is a person holding GER
tain views, the other the chosen
representative of political organiza-
ton.
The democrats of this city, have
therefore decided that, if the party is
to be charged with the conduct of the
city's affairs, that party should have
some voice in naming those officers,
and this together with the hope to
give the city officials who will be faith
full, efficient and honest, and against
whom just men can make no reason
able complaint, were the sole causes
which prompted the action of the
Committee