The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-05-02

ture ana Is In antagonism 10 tho Consti-
tuition Of tho United states"
| IL that he good logic then every ma
uonal convention held TO select candidates
for President and Vice-Presdent to he
voted for by the electors Of the several
states Is also in violation Of the Constitu-
ton The Constitution provides that the
| President and the Vice-President of the
| United States shall be chosen by electors.
That each State shah choose number OF
electors equal 10 the whole number OF
senators and representatives TO which the
! State may be entitled in Congress, and
that these electors shall meet IN their
respective States ana cast the vote OF
the State for this or that candidate for
| tho Presidency and the Nice-Presidency.
Each party IN the several States noml-
| mates electors. but before such nomlna-
lions arc made a national convention Of
each national party IL held. nominations
made for the Presidency and Vice-Presi-
| dency, and II Is then and there deter
| mined that the electors thereafter TO be
| chosen in the several States shall vote
for the nominees for President and Vice
President of their respective parties. This
is equivalent. according TO our Cuipeper
contemporary, 10 the election Of Presi-
dent and Nice-President by the direct vote
Of the people, and in violation Of the
Constitution Of the United States. but
nobody would be bold enough, We think,
to spring that point No sticisier for
constitutional regularity would dare say
that party nominations for President and
Vice President are wrong, and that the
electors should be chosen and permitted
TO vote for any candidate without refer
cnce to instruction from the party which
they represent.
The proposition 10 select candidates
Of the respective parties for United States
senator is exactly In line with our method
Of choosing candidates for President and
Nice-Presidcnt. II so happens in the
state Of Virginia that nomination by
the Democratic party is equivalent TO an
election but that is not true in ali other
states. and would not be true in Virginia
a.
voters Of Virginia were anything like
evenly divided between the Democratic
party and the Republican party, and the
primary plan should obtain, the Demo
Gratis would nominate their man by pri-
mary election. the Republicans would
nominate their man by the same method,
and then when the Legislature should
meet the Democratic members. in fact
Democratic electors would cast their
vote for the Democratic candidate. and
electors, would cast their votes for the
Republican candidate There is no vio-
lation either of the letter or the spirit
OF the Constitution in such a method. All
power is vested in Inc peo-
pie and the people who select
the members Of the Legislature certainly
have the right TO instruct them as TO how
they shall vote in a given matter. Let
10 be remembered that under the primary
plan the members Of the Legislature
would De under no greater obligation TO
vote for the candidates for senator OF
their respective parties than the electors
are under obligation TO vote for the party
candidate for President and Vice Presi-
dent
All sorts OF arguments have been
trumped up TO defeat the object of the
May Conference but It strikes US as "a
bit highhanded when it IS seriously con-
tended that the Democrats of Virginia
have 40 right go express their choice OF
senatorlal candIdates.