Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-22
CONVENTION VS.. PRIMARY.

some of the Many Reasons Advanced in
Favor OF the Former and Against the
Latter Plan The Expense Serious
Reason.
Special 10 the Register.
Charleston. W. Va, February 21.-
The question Of holding a primary
election in West Virginia to nominate
Democratic candidates for State offices
has been brought before the public by
inquiries sent out by the Charleston
Gazette soliciting the opinions of Dem
OcratS on the subject. To ascertain
the views OF some Of those who have
not heretofore expressed an opinion
upon the subject, the correspondent of
the Register has talked with a number
OF the leading Democrats OF Charles
ton, including the State officers. partic-
ularly those Who have been prominent
i'm political work in former campaigns
Among this class of Democrats the
sentiment is overwhelmingly against
the primary, not that they object TO
primary elections, but they believe a
State primary would be impracticable,
for the reason, first, that il would cost
an enormous amount of money, which
the State Committee have not got. and
could not raise The cost of such a
primary is variously estimated at from
$4,000 10 $4,000. The State Commit
tee would have to open headquarters
Immediately and begin the work of
preparing for the election. 4 large
force OF clerks and stenOgraphers, with
a number Of wise. intelligent men ia
miliar with the State to manage the
election, must be employed. Each
voting precinct in the State must be
provided with clerks and commission
ers TO take the vote. and another set Of
men 10 look after the returns and see
that they are properly certified to and
returned to the State Committee.
The work of getting up the Austria
liam ballots, poll books. printed in
structi0ns etc. and getting them prop
erly distributed to the polls would be
enormous
The question is. where is the neces-
sary funds TO come from? The State
Committee cannot furnish them. Some
one suggests that the candidates be
assessed for the purpose. There may
be no candidates in the field at the time
the primary is ordered: but suppose
there were candidates announced be-
fore the primary is ordered. they will
not submit to an assessment for the
primary and also for the regular cleo
ton.
Some have suggested the propriety
Of referring the matter of holding the
primary to the several counties. but it
is said if it be left to the counties it
would not be held in some OF them at
all. In those counties which have
been giving large Republican plurali-
ties. no Democrat will consent TO be a
candidate if he must be assessed to
pay the expenses OF Q primary election
and the consequence would be, no pri-
mary would be held in such county.
and its citizens would have no voice in
the selection Of Democratic candidates
for Nate officers.
The question of distributing the can
didates over the State-is an important
one. This could not be done in a
primary elctiOn. The most popular
asDirants before the primary for State
Offices may all come from the same
county. This would cause serious dis
no-L0tbNtipu- ouppOSt, lOI tAdLupl
candidates for Governor. Auditor and
Attorney General all came from Kama
wha-nOt an impossible result-a howl
would go up against Kanawha taking
every thing and the result would be
the candidates would not be warmly
supported in other parts of the State.
These are a few of the objections
raised against a State primary election
The old party workers would like to
have a primary ELECTION, but they see
insurmountable difficulties in the way.