The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-11-07
PRIMARIES OR CONVENTION,

Fh1MAhlES Ok CONVENTION.
During the recent Senatorial con-
test some of the advocates of the can
didaes so far forgot themselves as to
make the fight, not upon the merit
of their candidate but upon the alleg-
ed dement's of his opponent AS re-
was engendered and because of this
friction and feeling men have been
ready to cry out: 1--WE want no more
primaries. Senators should be elected
in the good old way by the Legisla-
ture."
The eyer-present and ever-difficult
problem in party management is how
to ascertain the will of the people,
how to devise plan that will give
every voter an equal voice in the selec-
ton of candidates, how to minimize
. the influence of what is called ina
chine influence" and the employment
) of money. No perfect method has ever
!. yet been secured, and as long as men
are constituted as they are a perfect
method could not be perfectly en-
forced The problem is to devise the
nearest perfect method to ascertain
I the will of the voters. In the early
days of the Republic, and man who
desired to be candidate merely an
nounced himself. That was the ideal
way and avoided the evils of conven-
tons and primaries. But it is de-
) structive to party success or party or
ganization, and while possible in the
days of Nathaniel Macon would be i'm
possible now.
The scandals that have attended the
election of Senators by the Legisla-
ture have been SO many and SO gross
that the national Democratic party
has made the demand for the election
of Senators by the people a plank in
its platform. The Senate, controll-
ed largely by men who owe their seats
to purchase or manipulation of con-
ventions, has refused to pass the
House bill for the election of Senators
by the people. Many of them know
that election by the people would rel
egate therh to private life.
The day when the people elected
Legislators uninstructed to select
Senator has passed. The people of
the Democratic party demand a voice
in the selection of their Senator as
we'll as their President. In the early
days of the Republic, the voters elect
ed members of an Electoral College
and entrusted them with the duty of
electing a President Imagine going
back to that plan of electing Presi-
dent! Power once conferred on the
people can never be withdrawn. The
best method of selecting all officers
is by popular vote. The modern trend
is in that direction and grows strong
er all the time.
The day when legislators were given
the power. without instructions, to
choose a Senator will not return. Eth
er by nomination in convention, selec
ton of legislative candidates by in
terested parties, or through legal
lied primary our future Senators are
to be chosen. Which is the best plan?
The Democratic State convention held
in April committed the Democratic
party to the primary election method.
We quote the platform declaration:
''We favor the enactment of laws by
the next General Assembly providing
for the holding of primary elections
for the nomination of State and coun-
ty officers, Representatives in Con-
gress and United States Senators"
In pursuance of that plank the duty
Of enacting a legalized primary law
will devolve upon the coming General
Assembly. With a wise law, the pri-
mory will prove the best method of
nominating the Democratic candidate,
though no one will contend that it is
perfect method. There are objec-
tions to it, but it has operated well
in Mecklenburg, Wake and other coun.s
ties where it has been tried as to coun-