The times., 1899-06-25
SENATORS BY POPULAR VOTE.
History of the Origin and Progress
of the yIrlrInfn Movement

History of the Origin and Progress
of the Virginia Movement.
staunton. Va. June 24.-The movement
in this State for the cho!ce of United
States Senator by primary of Demo-
cratic voters is interesting because OF tAo
facts: that it had its origin and growth
IN the rank and file of the party, and tat
it came to an end because of the belief
Of that rank and file that the
political wire pullers Lad sot
control of it. The movement was born
sixteen years ago, and was the out
of the resentment felt by the Democrau;
voters against some of the Demo crati;
politicians.
In 1852 the Virginia Democrats, who hal
been out of power in the State govern
ment for four years, defeated the Repub-
licans under General Malone, got ros-
session of the Legislature by sufficient
majority in each house to override the
Republican Governors veto. and amid
great rejoicing proceeded to leg.s.ate
the Republicans out of Office. joan :.
Barbour. member of Congress from the
Alexandria district and Chairman OF tie
State Central Committee, who had organ
lied and won this victory, was the Dem
ocIatis idol of the hour. 1t was generally
expected that he would be chosen Sen
ator By the Democratic Legislature tie had
made possible When that Legislature
came to elect, however, it chose john W.
Daniel. Much bitterness followed this
disappointment. and it was charged by
friends of Barbour that. while he lad
been lighting to redeem the State fIom
Malone, the friends of Daniel had been
laying the wires to reap the fruits of his
victory. This bitterness largely. but cot
entirely. died out when Barbour at the
next Senatorial election was elected 10 the
Senate.
When Mr. Barbour died the Democratic
idol OF the rank and file was Gen. Fitzhugh
Lee His election to the Senate was hardly
doubted by any. 1t was then that the
popular disappointment OF 1888 vas re-
peated Residing in AIbemarle county.
! and almost unknown beyond its borders.
! was Thomas s Martin. He was an able
: lawyer, a poor orator. fine POLITICAL or
ganizer a working member of the State
4 Democratic machine. and, like Mr. Bar
( bour had the reputation of commanding
the support OF the railroads in all cam
paigns In a Democratic primary for
Senator Fitzhugh Lee would have beaten
! him by ten votes to one. The election
| came on and the Legislature elected Mar
tin over Lee. The Lee men who. either
| through ignorance or over confidence, had
shown neither political skill nor energy
/ in their management of his campaign, lost
their heads with anger. Hoping to find
some fraud-to take the place OF their own
| incompetency-they procured an inyestl-
| CATION" by the Legislature. No fraud was
! shown, and about the only thing shown vas
that of the two politicians, Martin was
/ the ''smartest," as that word is used In
politics.
These two popular disappointments in
! the matter of election of Senator have
| made Virginia good ground for the growth
| of the plan of electing Senators by the di-
! rect popular vote. So, when the move
was made last spring in favor of party pri-
maries for naming the Senator it was well
received II soon developed, however, that
it was a man, and not a principle. that
1 wss at issue; that instead of being move
ment to get a law passed by the Legisla-
| ture to have Senators nominated by pri-
maries, it was a struggle to get Martins
I place for some other aspiring politician
| This was made evident when the call CT
! State convention to name man became
I the foremost feature of the movement.
The convention idea received the hearty
support of the Richmond Dispatch" and
! the Times" but the county papers, which
! in Virginia are a pretty good index OF the
popular feeling, were not enthusiastic In
! terest waned and when the May confer
| ence' at Richmond, called by the friends
| of the movement, showed ohiy ABOUT oVV
/ members the sentiment fairly died out 50
| that, when the State Democratic Commit
! tee later declined to grant the petition OF
/ the May conference TO call a State conyen-
/ ton TO name man nobody was surprised.
But the Democratic rank and file, while
| It would not sanction the use of the party
machinery By aspirants for the senator
ship, are still bent on having hand in
| the election OF Senators. This will be
I made clear when the Legislature meets.
by the presentation OF bills for legal pri-
mary fer their nomination. vote against
these bills will be too hard to explain TO
the people at home for any legislator
| TO risk IT, since there is at present in
the head Of the individual Democratic
1 voter in Virginia no more fixed idea than
determination TO have a direct hand in
the future choice of United States Sena-
tors.