The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-04
SATURDAY, February 4, 1899.
LEGALIZED PRIMARIES A NEG
ESSARY COROLIsARY TO THE
CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND
MENT.

MENT.
Yesterdays Asheville Citizen contains
the following editorial:
''But little has been said of late in leg
isative circles concerning legalzed pri-
naries in North Carolina. We claim
that what men to vote for is as inn
portant as what men shall yote-when
sifted down to practical results. We
believe the present Legislature should en-
courage by every possible means the
better element of our people to take part
this be so effectually done as by the
legalized primary. There are thousands
of men in North Carolina today who will
gladly help nominate good men for office
who could not perhaps be induced to go
TO the polls and vote for men put up by
clique and who might be known to be
in every way unfit for the office for
which they had been named. Primaries
not only invite the best men to partici-
pate in politics. but they put the duty
of naming good men as candidates upon
that class of our citizenship"
We fully agree with the Citizen that a
legalized primary is needed and it is our
conviction that it follows as necessary
Two bills, one by Senator Smith, of
Stanly, and one by Mr.. Clarkson, of
Mecklenburg, have been introduced pro-
viding for q legalized primary. 1t has
been our understanding that the discus
sion of legalized primary has been post
poned until the bill submitting the con-
stitutional amendment shall have been
ratified. As it naturally follows restrict
ed suffrage, it may be wise to postpone
its consideration until the suffrage
amendment has been submitted by legis-
latiye enactment. Then, we take it, the
matter of legalized primary will be
taken up.
In December the editor of this paper
spent week in Washington talking to
leading Democrats from Mississippi,
Louisiana and South Carolina about
their constitutional limitation of suffrage
and the method employed to keep the
white vote solid From editorial CORE
spondence published in the News and
Observer on December 23rd. we re-
print this extract:
..In Mississippi, all nominations, for
State offices, Congress, legislative and
county offices are made by primary,
which is, regulated by law. While there
were one or two with whom L talked
who did not think the primary essential,
and one Congressman who thought it
ought to be left to party control the
thought primary necessary, mind your
the opinion of most Of the representative
men from the Southern States was that
n legal urinary was an almost essential
accompaniment of constitutional eilmlna-
tion of the negro vote. When the negro
vote Is eliminated. nomination by the
party of the white men is equivalent to
nm election. Therefore in order to keep
the white men united, it is essential
that the primaries shall be surrounded
nv every possible safeguard. In Mississ-
;nni the same men who hold the legal
election hold the primary elections. They
are sworn officers and any Illegal voting
or counting is punished. Conventions.
which in all parties are easier to con-
tral Inv machine men, are not known eX-
cont to rafify the DEGREES of the prlma-
,ies. Every white man IN the State
knows that he has as much voice IN
nominating candidates as any other
man. That makes feeling of equality.
The elections are protected from unfair
ness nv sworn officers OF the law,
backed by a healthy pubic sentiment,
and the will of the people hnds easy eA-
preston. As a result. when the eandl-
date is nominated by primary the re-
suIt l. accepted in good faith. Indeed
&c ! man kicks. he has his pains for his
trouhle The negroes being eliminated.
oornot no apnealed to by the defeated
candidates: and the elections being man
ifaetlv fair and legally declared, the
white mon viii not listen to bolt or
;adanendent running. Without the legal
urinary. however. the fear was express
al nv several that the divisions among
white mon might result in bringing about
q return 70 the deplorable conditions
when ono faction of white men call
mon the negroes to help defeat another
faction"
Senator Caffery, of Louisiana, speak
ing Of the fact that the Louisiana Con-
stitution, while requiring legallzed PR
naries left the Legislature to carry
them into effect, said:
Zone big mistake we made in Louis
lana. was in not regulating party nom
nations in legal primaries. Experience
has shown that upon occasion Whlte men
have swindled white men In prima-
RIGS MS well as in elections. Regulate the