The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-10-12
TIE PRIMARY HERE 10 STAY.

At intervals there has appearu al
ticles in the columns of some OF our
contemporaries in which the writers
have attacked the present primary
system of nominating candidates tor
political Offices and expressed de-
sire to return to the old convention
plan. None of them, however, con-
tanned a single tangible reason why
the primary should be supplanted
by the conve, tion plsn. Revelations
never 90 back ward. they are p gress-
i've, going forward as the bands
mark off the seconds upon the dial
of the clock. As the primary IS the
legitimate offspring of the great po-
liticaI revolution of 1890, to make an
exception of this would be reversing
the truth of history and making
nullity of the eternal fitness OF things.
The convention plan OF nominating
candidates for political Office has
served it's day; accomplished the pur-
poses which called it into existence
and must now remain memory OF
the dead past. Under its workings
the prerogatives Of the elector were
delegated to representatives and as
they decided so was the elector, like
dumb beast led to the slaughter,
bound and was compelled to give
support to men and measures which
his judgment told him were incom-
petent in the first Instance and in the
second unsound in principle. In the
days of the convention plan the cleo
tor was the slave and the politician
the master. By the manipulation of
wires, the intrigue of cl!ques and
the formation of rings the trickery
politician was enabled to crack the
party lash and whip into line the
recalcitrant elector whose sense Of
principle and love OF truth, justice
and decency forced him to protest
against the mandates of the bosses.
Merit and fitness were but small fac
tors in making nominations and alb
ject compliance and strict obedience
to the will and wishes of those who
pulled the wires were the only open
sesames to Office. The exercise Of
independence and manhood was not
thought of, the prevailing idea be-
ing state of political serfdom for
the masses, and the dissatisfaction at
the intolerance of the bosses was the
fuel which fed the flames, kindled and
famed by Yillman's burning and
scathing denunciations, made the
success of the revolution possible.
A return to the convention plan
means simply return to the degrad-
ing and debasing methods from
which We have been relieved.
The primary plan of making NOM
ination is by no means perfect. There
are many defects which needs to
be rectifed; many improvements
can be made to advantage. The
system at present in force is too cum
bersome and unweildly. While it is
not asking too much for the candi-
dstes TO appear before the people
whose suffrage they seek but at the
sametime it is costly and expensive
undertaking and luxury in which
the rich can Only afford to indulge in.
The legitimate campaign expenses Of
a candidate cannot be much. under
hundred dollars, the probability is
shat it will exceed this sum and from
this fact alone many poor but de-
serving man is prevented from max
ing the race for a State Office. He
simply hasn't the money to spare to
make the canvass of the State. To
remedy this evil or hardship is de-
serving the closest and most thought
ful attention of the State Democratic
Executive Committee. 1t is idle to
talk about abolishing the system and
it is as equally idle to think of abridg-
ing the campaign meetings so as to
provide for one meeting in each Con-
gressional District, for doing this
the essential principle of the pri-
mary system is destroyed. The elec-
tors and the candidates have right
to demand that meetings be held in
each county-the candidates to ex-
press their views on political issues
and to seek votes, the electors to hear
and from the hearing they can intel
ligently use the priceless gift of an
elective franchise to the best interest
of the State.