The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-30
rr rs A coon rHrNa.

Our esteemed contemporary. The Chat tanooga Times, extends congratulatory hand acf6ss the line and remarks:
 mary on the largest possible scale. and ret good results. Why cannot Tennessee Democracy do the same thing? Accord. ing to some of our wise politicians ana mary; which notion must be either an emanation of stiffness or q product or perver4ty. Those who put forward such an opinion are either weak in their heads or they are planning to do the people
 Yes, we got "good results" and we say that, leaving out any allusion to the nom- f1ees. but referring only to the primary plan of conducting elections. and the working of that plan. It was new ex- pertinent in Alabama. and not few
 good and true men were doubtful of the result. True. local primaries had been tried with more or less success, but
 State primary of Democrats which should
 do away with the convention system and
 select candidates for all offices from Gov
 ernor down was an experiment. to be
 repeated if successful or to be abandoned
 if thought best.
 But it was successful beyond the most
 sanguine expectations. There were not as
 many votes cast as had been hoped for,
 and expected. but when we reflect on the
 manner of conducting conventions hereto
 fore, and how one-tenth or less of the votersso a ward or precinct would take charge of the entire machinery, We are forced to admit that the primary, even with the comparatively light vote of last Monday. came much nearer expressing the voice of the Democrats of Alabama than any convention would have done. And the practical working of the plan was decidedly encouraging. Not in more than thirty years has there been such fair and honest election in Alabama. True, there have been some reports of illegal voting. but these are rare. and
 we suspect that in most instances they are made by disappointed candidates That some were allowed to vote who were not fairly entitled to vote is doubtless true. It would be almost a miracle if 1t were not true. It was an experiment, as we have said. The rules and regula- tions may not in all cases have been the
 best, and those rules may have been vio-
 lated in some places and in some in- stances, but the general result Is satis- factory and encouraging.
 The primary has shown to the Demo- crats of Alabama that each Individual voter is . part and parcel of the whole political body, and that each must do his part and bear his share of the responsi-
 bility. The way was open for each qual. flied voter to express his choice, and lsthose who voluntarily stayed away from the polls are estopped from filing any complaint about what was done or not done. It was a duty resting on ali alike, enter no criticisms as to what was done or was not done. If they are not satis- fled with the result they must take the blame to themselves and resolve to do better next time.
 There is no deadly danger in . pri-
 mary properly conducted. It is the surest method of getting the voice of the peo- pie. free and untramelled. and the easiest | and best way to have that voice recorded
 and made effective. If there were faults in connection with the late primary,
 those faults are to be corrected. "The
 lamp of experience,' as Patrick Henry
 calls 1t, will enable our leaders in the
 future to prepare better regulations. and
 the people, after having seen the good
 workings of their first venture will more
 readily approve the plan and more will
 lingly be governed by the rules laid down by the State Committee
 The primary Is a good thing.