Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-10-04
The Legislative Convention


In another column will be found
Il communication from Mr.. Conrad
kownslar, of this place, in which he
assumes TO declare that the conven-
ton which nominated Mr.. \. l..
Warthen, of Warren, as the candI-
date of Clarke and Warren counties
for the House Of Delegates. was a
"bogus convention" No one COM
plimented more heartily than did Mr.
Kownslar the position of the COURIER
two years ago, when 1t essayed to
prove that the Warren county COM
mittee of that date was not compe-
tent, because it had no supervisory
powers over the question, to sit in
judgment and override the action of
a nominating conven ton.
Alas, that Mr.. Kownslar should
assume the same role two years later.
In his legal practice, when he thinks
the court has not treated his cause
justly, he appeals to higher court.
Now, the convention before which
the Warren petitioners laid their
grievances heard and decided them.
If justice was denied them, under
party government it was their right
TO appeal to the State committee and
let that body investigate and decide
the matter, instead of going outside
of the organization where every po-
litical element standing around may
act as judge.
Passing over what Mr.. Kownslar
says about "rings" and "bosses," we
will remark that there has been no
more earnest or sincere advocate of
senatorial reform than the editor of
this paper, but because that measure
was defeated in our local primaries
through the failure of its many
friends to seize the opportunity Of
fered them to make it triumphant.
We cannot consent to encourage ac-
ton In its behalf by methods calcu-
lated to rend the party in twain.
Furthermore, we believe senatorial
reform will be written in the plat
form of the next State convention. if
1t is not slain in the house of its
friends by such action as is being
supported by our correspondent.
Mr.. Kownslar contends that if a
primary election is held, cit must be
held not more than 80 nor less than
20 days previous to the election -
We fail to appreciate this conclusion.
The Warren committee, if there had
been no Jackson law, had a perfect
right to order = primary election for
the selection of delegates, and as that
law was not mandatory the right to
act as they saw proper was not
abridged by Its provisions. The
main point is, that in Warren as we'll
as Clarke the friends of both candi-
dates for q. S. Senator had equal no.
tice of the meetings and equal OPP
portunity to voice their views through
the primaries, and if the adherents
of one of the candidates abstained
from participating in them, such alb
stention does not absolve them, as
true democrats, from supporting its
candidate, Mr.. Warthen, much less
clothe them with the right to declare
the convention "bogus" affair. That
sort of plea reminds us of the way
in which the republicans used to
settle contested seats in Congress.
They would consider whether there
were enough negroes in the district
to give them majority, and if salts
fed on this point, though only one
half of them had voted, they would
award the seat to the republican
claimant.
Mr.. kownslar says the town was
full of democrats who favored sena-
torial reform on the day the primary
meeting was held at the court house.