The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-31
TO SAFEGUARD THE PRIMARIES.

| TO SAT- EGNAHD THE PRIMARIES.
The bill introduced in the House by
/ Hon. Pleasant A. Stovall of Chatham,
to make bribery in the primary cleo
| lions a crime, is a step in the right
! direction. It is in the line of purify
ing politics and safeguarding Demo-
cratic principles. We take the liberty
of suggesting to Mr.. Stovall. and urg-
ing upon the Legislature, the broaden
ing of the proposed measure so as to
give TO the primary every protection
that is thrown around the general
election.
Under present conditions, the pri-
mary election decides who shall hold
the offices in Georgia during the two
years following the regular election.
This will continue to be the case un-
til such time as there comes a split Of
consequence in the white vote of the
state. The regular election is merely
a ratification of what has been done
in the primary. That being true. the
primary is the" election. 1t is the ar
bitter of the fate of candidates who are
Democrats together. How very i'm
portant, therefore, that the primary be
kept free from suggestion of manipu-
lation, fraud or bribery. 1t is more
important than the regular election:
and yet, according to the opinion of
eminent legal authority, it is without
protection under the law. 1t is no Of
Tense against the statutes to do things
In the primary which, if repeated at
the regular election, would result after
conviction in a severe sentence.
The date of the regular election is
fixed by law, and so should the date
of the primary be fixed, and not left
to the pleasure of an executive COM
mittee. 1t will be recalled that during
the recent campaign there was much
dissatisfaction on this point, certain of
the candidates desiring a date fixed
that would be convenient for the far
mers to leave their crops and go to the
polls. The Executive Committee, how
ever. decided upon an inconvenient
date, with the result that the canvass
was cut short and a great many far
mers remained away from the polls
for the due reason that they had not
been informed fully with respects to
the merits of the claims of the candi-
dates, and they could i'll afford to take
a day off from their farm work Just
at that particular time. 1t could be
argued with equal justice that the date
of the regular election be left to the
Executive Committees determination
as that of the primary. Indeed. 1t
would be fairer to have the date of
the former movable and of the latter
fixed since. as we have said, the reg
ular election is merely a ratification of
the results of the primary.
What is needed, what seems to us to
be demanded for the good of the party
and the state, is that the Legislature
shall take steps to place the primary
upon precisely the same footing with
the regular election, giving it all of the
protection that can be thrown around
It. In no other way can it be made
clean and fair. and unless it can be
kept in that condition. the party will
be apt to suffer.
We sincerely hope to see Mr.. Stovall
and the other election reformers take
the matter up on this line and urge the
adoption of a strong, comprehensive,
just, Democratic primary election law
We feel sure that a clear and concise
presentation of the facts in the mat
Ter win be sufficient to induce the Leg
islature to adopt the needed reform.
The Democracy of this state desires
that its methods of selecting public
servants shall be just and honest. with
an equal opportunity for every Demo-
crat. That cannot be assured as long
as the primary is capable Of being
manipulated.