The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-03-08

tilted of the TACT, and remember it in
selecting delegates to the State con-
vention.
"If a county convention. or major
ity of the delegates to county con-
vention, desire that State Primary on
the selection of U. S. Senator shall
be held-in order that the entire DEM
ocratic party and every voter In it
shall have a voice in this important
matter-then that convention should
in naming delegates to the State
convention, select only such men as are
known to favor that plan.
"If the county is divided on this
subject then let fair and just proper
ton of senatorial Primary men and
Anti-Senatorial Primary men be
elected delegates to the State conven
ton according to the strength of the
two sides, as manifested in the town.
ship primaries and the county coz.
ventiOns.
1--WE cannot be too careful to see
that the will OF the people (the white
Democrats of the several counties and
the State as a whole) is respected in
this matter.
"It would certainly not contribute
to the success of the party-to state
ticket or the Amendment-for the
State convention to refuse to State
Primasy tor U. S. Senator, if the maj
ority OF the Democratic voters of the
State desire such primary, or vice
versa.
QUESTION SHOULD BE SETTLED RIGHT.
eft is equally plain that Qaying
aside the individuality of all the aspir-
ants for the Senatorship) the good Of
the party and the chances OF the sue.
cess of the Amendment will not be
advanced by the smothering, and keep
ing In the background this State Pri-
mary plan until it is too late to carry
out the will of the voters OF the party.
the only result of which would be to
give opportunity to few politicians
to defeat the plan in the State CONVEX
ton, or so hamper it that it would not
furnish free and full expression OF
the wishes OF the Democrats of the
State.
IT say that, if there are any such
'wire-puller' (and there may or may
not beg, we are not doing the party a
service by keeping this feature OF the
Senatorial question in the background
longer. The individuality of neither
Of the candidates is involved in calling
State Primary. 1t only assures III
that the most popular and satisfactory
candidates will be selected-be he Mr..
Simmons, Gen. Carr, Maj. Waddell,
Gov. Jarvis, or whoever he may be.
The only feature of the Senatorial
matter which any of us haye ever be-
lieved should be deferred was the en-
dorsement of either individual candi-
date by the conventions. And l see
that in one or two counties the conven-
tions have done that.
"The Primary plan of electing Sen.
ator has proved so universally satisfac-
tory in bouth Carolina and the many
other States where it has been tried
that certainly great many Democrats
in North Carolina favor it, and 1t Is
our bounden duty to ascertain ii .
majority do, and it so then it shoule
be ordered.
"Not to do so under such conditions
would be disastrous to the party, ant
would endanger the success of not on
~ the State ticket but the Amendment
as we'll. greatly fear it would, and
therefore l hope the editors of all tn,
county papers will at once take up this
matter and fully acquaint their reader
on the subject. By doing so they
Will perform a valuable party service. .