Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-07
Of 1900 and throw down the gauntlet a
THE LOUISA PRIMARY.

| xya nnd In the last issue of the LOUISE
| countv News a letter from William keah
ESQ. chairman OF the Executive com
mittee OF the Democratic party OF LOUIS"
IN which he replies TO a communication
| unfinished I'm the previous No. OF tha'
pauer. He rightly contends that IL u
within the province OF a county conlhi'p
| tee to call a convention. Ana, as i''
the plan adopted. which is comoh'auo'
| Of a primary and a convention ne s"o"'
| that II was widely discussed among DcI"o
Gratis and generally approved before th'
| committee acted. lie further states '"'''
'the Democratic counties OF Cuipepe'
| Fauouier. Loudoun, and Augusta nave
called conventions by primaries In the
last month. and It Is the rule In iuiiy nan
the counties in the state"
There may be some. perhaps many
Democrats in Louisa who prefer
"straightout primary" but we )udse '""'
the chief opposition 10 the pan auop''"
&, Louisa IS from persons who prefer 'na'
,,o nominations be made; in other "orus'
IT., ,hore should be "a free fight at the
Nav election. We append the cara Vi
Chairman Kean:
10 the Editor Of the Louisa News:
osi, snace TO answer few OF the op-
I'm, az "a Louisa Citizen" and 10
Co., a few words as 10 the action OF the
Dcnocratic committee. In the hrst place
I will say that the proprlety OF ho'ul"s
n convention has been discussed sihce
last summer. / do not know what Wac
d. evnerience OF the other members oil
the committee. but l VIII say hldue :,
a noint 10 talk with Democrats ANA ]
~ bsen in every precinct in the county,
and until the convention was called !
,ail,od With hut one Democrat who ala
NOT favor a convention. Some candl-
dates were opposed. some non-committai'
and some in favor of q convention. Inc
plan is identical, l think, with Una,
adopted I'm the Democratic congressional
canvass of 1871 and 1879 in this county anu
in I,oudoun in 1896. The Democfd"c
counties of Culpeper, Fauquler' Lou
DOM. and Augusta, have called cohVeh-
tjons by primaries in the last month"; ana
II is the rule in fully half the counties II,
the State. The same charge Oh ATTEMPTED
ue,ruation of power could be raised AT
-. colI If a convention. ] do not
remember that Democrats called II
usurpation Of power Ohough the KepuD-
licans did not fancy iO when the Demo
cratic Committee met at Cuckoo sixteen
wears ago, and selected Candidates VINO
we're elected by over 300 majority
Your correspondents suggestion OF
mass-meetng TO test the wishes OF me
marty is met by the fact that a conVen-
tion ALWAYS gives better expression OF
nd q
could and would decide whether to nomi-
nate or not. Under the plan of the
Democratic party government, the call
of q convention is within the duty of the
committee. and the party action must
he determined by the party in convention
assembled. As to the objection. that
the supporters Of the weakest candidates
may combine against the strongest, that
may occur in any convention. a conven-
ton is not a perfect plan to find out the
will of a party, but it Is the best yet de-
vised.
The limitations and restrictions as 10
who shall participate in the primary are
those usually adopted by Democrats. !
anpeal from the unjust charges and III
situations Of "a Louisa Citizen" TO the
Democratic citizens of Louisa, TO whom
| am responsible. The committee may
have made a mistake; that the future
must determine. But that they were
actuated by the unworthy motives your
correspondent charges, or by any other
than a desire for the best interests Of
the party now and for the future.
deny. WILLIAM hEAN'
AS will be seen from this letter, the
Louisa Convention. when assembled, may
determine that it would be unwise 10
make nominations. But if it should
take the opposite view. it would be au-
thorized to go ahead and nominate candi-
dates for the offices 10 be filled. We see
now why "a straightout primary" is not
favored by the County Committee. 1t
is desired that the party should first de
termine whether nominations should on
should not be made.