Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-05

Tho following from the editorial COL
umns of the Norfolk virginian-PiIot oil
yesterday outlines the position OF that
paper with reference TO the May confer
ence:
"The conference. may very well suggest
: that the people. In their action, by mass
meeting, by primary election. or del
| egated convention, may name. Instruct.
| or request the candidate or nominee OF
every county TO vote. II elected, for this
| or that man. in caucus and election; but
the existing law and all the circumstances
forbid the party to act as whole In an
Unauthorized and formal nomination OF
senator, either through its State orgahiza-
ton or otherwise"
At the first glance, We thought our
contemporary plan was similar to that
OF Mr.. Montague's, but upon closer IN
spec,ion we find that II is not. The VIZ
gnian-Pilot would commit the whoie
subject to each community to express It's
wishes as IL may think best-whether py
convention, mass-meetng, or primary.
Mr.. Montague. on the other hand, pro-
noses that the whole subject be commit
ted to each community, with the speciai
recommendation that it seek TO have
primary election ordered at when voters
Of our party may give expression 10 'ii7''
preferences for senator.
Mr.. Montague's plan would make the
urinary election feature distinct ana
prominent. The Virginian-Pilots plan
would not do so. There the two plans
differ.
The Virginlan-Pilot does not think IL
would be proper for the May meeting 10
petition the State committee to take any
action at all. 1t insists that the May
meeting would be going beyond the pur-
pose for which it was called, If it urges
the State committee to take this, that, or
the other action with reference TO the
senatorship.
on that point we do not agree with our
contemporary; but we are amenable to
argument. We should like to hear the
question discussed by Harry Tucker ana
Jack Montague and other men OF their
calibrc who will be members OF the May
conference.
The Dispatch believes the May meeting
will be composed Of men Of such politicai
experience and of such ability and pru-
dence that it will not make the mistake
of asking the State committee to do any
thing that it ought not 10 do. However,
we are glad to see the Virginian-Pilot
advancing its views upon this question
II is well that it should do so. The May
meeting wants all the light that possibly
can be thrown upon its course. II is bet
ter that it should have the dangerous
places in the road pointed out to it now,
than to come upon them unawares and in
haste later on.
The Dspatch's prediction for a phi
mary election is tolerably well known. A
State primary election could hardly be
arranged for now, in season TO give the
senatorial candidates opportunity to can
vass the State Therefore, it but remains
for the MAJ meeting 10 choose between
petitioning for State convention and
urging each separate constituency to act
for itself i'm instructing its nominees for
the LEGISLATURE as 10 its preference for
the senatorship.
We have heretofore pointed out 10 our
readers what seemed to us to be the adj
vantages and disadvantages of each of
those plans, and we do not care to say
more Just now; but our standing advice
to the May meeting is to get as close 10
the masses of the Democratic party as
possible and stick there.