Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-11

From the first the Dispatch has faYoreu
a late convention for nominating con-
gresham to represent this district IN
Congress. We have. time and again.
stated our reasons therefor. We fear
that a primary held as early as August
2Oth will not be participated in by enough
voters 10 Impress the public with the
true strength here Of Bryan and Sewal
All during .he month of August
thousands OF our citizens are absent
from their homes, spending their vaca-
lions I'm the country or at popular resorts
I'm the mountains or by the seashore. So
here at once IS a large number Of votes
which we shall not be able to get If the
present plan IS carried out. Again, 1t Is
a well-known fact that there are con-
siderable number OF Democrats here who
have not yet made up their minds 10
support Bryan and Sewall. Many of
these may not be ready 10 vote I'm the
congressional primary on the goth, but
give them time. and the odds are that
they VIII come with us.
The dissatisfaction prevailing In our
ranks here. the intense heat Of the
weather. ard the great number Of abb
sentees from Richmond during the month
Of August, afford plenty Of reasons why
the nominating convention should be post
poned-postponed for several weeks be-
yond September 3d. which Is the date now
fixed for It.
But there IS an additional reason for
deferring the nominating convention,
This IS that localized primary cannot
be held on August Goth. No matter how
much fraud may be committed I'm pri-
mary held on August 2oth, the offenders
cannot be punished. Think OF that! Oui
primary election law requires that oui
primaries shall be held not sooner thar
thirty and not later than twenty days
previous TO the general election. W.
think It was an oversight In the law mo-
10 give more time than this for congress
sional primaries. but It happens this
year that an early primary, so far from
being desirable for our party, is the very
think We should not wish An early pri
mary would mean a small vote; &
late one, fun vote We think this dis
trict can be sufficiently canvassed by the
nominee in four weeks, and. therefore
that the primary might well be brought
within the provisions Of the law on th'
sublect.
Indeed, there are some who insist that
n we are 20 have any primary here a
all. we MUST have It under the law
However this may be- we feel sur
the mass Of our people would prefer e
have the primary under the forms o
law, so that II any man commits frau'
IN the election he may be punished for IT
AS now proposed our primary viii b'
held on August 10Th, and, though Their
may be frauds Of the most aggravated
character. the offenders cannot be pun
ished Here at once an excuse win b
given to dissatisfied Democrats for no
going into the primary. Would that b
wise or prudent? Shouldn't we rather 81
arrange our primary that no DemOcra
win have an excuse for keeping out OF II
Or. are we to be totally indifferent L
the consequences OF a primary in whicl
a minority Of the votes Of our party ma
be polled?
For some weeks the Dispatch has bcei
pleading for a late primary, and though
our efforts have been unsuccessful 50 far
We cannot think OF giving up the fight
We are putting our party into TOO mucl
danger by arranging TO have our primar,
outside Of the law. and in broiling weather
and at season when so many Of tn
very voters whom We wish 70 enlist ia GU
cause are out OF the city.
Our District Committee should meet an
reconsider us action appointing Septem
Der 81 as the day for the congressional
nominating convention. a date shout
be fixed by It which win enable the Rich
mond primary 10 be held not less tina
thirty days previous TO the general cleo
ton. which occurs on November 3D. w
should think that an interval Of one o
two days between the primary elcctio
and the assembling Of the convention
would be sufficient
After the District Committee has acte
our City Committee should meet an
bring our primary election within IN
scope OF the special law governing prl
paries IN this city. But we should thin
that The City COMMITTEES would do we
70 cell the attention OF the District Com
mltsee 70 this matter az once.
Ma yspeet that the Dispatch has cor