The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-22
THE PRIMARY iA THE SECOND
DISTRICT.

Our Norfolk correspondent says that
tie viva ynce system of voting IN the
Second Dist1ic. primary was successful
n that it prevented any cheating. One
objection TO il, he observes, is that in
limitation can be used against men who
work with railway companies, shops and
large enterprises.
This objection has been urged time
md again in connection with the viva
voce system of voting, bat we do not be-
1ieve that there is anything whatever
in IL SO Ear as Virginia is concerned, GER
fainly not in primary elections. There
Is no place in this Commonwealth for
a corporation that would attempt to
brow-beat its employees and make them
vote against their conscience and ac-
cording to the dictates of the corpora
ton. Such a thing would not be tole-
rated ia old Virginia. There are. in our
opinion, serious objections to this sys-
TEN OF voting, but this is not one of
them. If the worlingman is in danger
OF intimidation it is from his own craft
and not from his employer.
The labor unions are more and moro
disposed TO go into politics. and every
now and then they put up n candidate
OF their own for some particular office.
In such case it is needless TO say that
under the viva vocc system working
man would be 10th to go to the polls
and vote by word of mouth against
labor candidate. This does not neces-
sarily imply, nor do we mean to charge.
that the union would brow-bcat and in
1nidate him, but few workinGmen would
be disposed thus 10 antagonize the men
of their own craft There would be
others also in such a case. men who
cater to the trade of workingmen, who
would be similarly affected
But this objection is not by any means
confined to workinGmen. Mr.. Joseph T.
Lawless, one of the candidates before
the Norfolk primary, declares that a
great many votes were lost To him by
reason of the publicity Of voting. He
says that many men who would have
voted for him by ballot did not so to
the polls at all because they were IN
claim their choice of candidates. Some
of the advocates OF the viva voce system
denounce all such men as towards. We
do not concur in that view. 1t by no
means implies that a man is a coward
because he is unwilling III a purely per-
sonal contest to stand up before a crowd
and say that he prefers one friend over
another friend. In voting for the one he
necessarily votes against the other and
puts himself in the position of antago-
niZing the man against whom his ballot
is cast. He may be equally friendly TO
each, and he may feel that he is under
a certain friendly obligation to both,
and being put in the ,predicament of
choosing between them or remaining
away from the polls, he is very ant to
stay at home.
The main argument offered in favor
of the viva voce plan is that it pre-
vents cheating. But is it not a startling
confession that this plan is necessary in
Virginia primary to prevent Demo-
cratic candidates from cheating one an
other? If that is the case We need 2
moral reform in Virginia rather than n
change in our plan of voting-we need
TO kick the thieves andAricksters out of
the polling places rather than to devise
some means ito prevent them from ply
ing their trade.