The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-05
Letters to The Editor.
JUDGE WINTER
Has Doubt of the Wisdom of (
 Primary.

Editor The Advertisers:
 The agitation of the primary election question is attracting widespread atten- ton. and has not only evoked much dis cussion, but quite a diversity of opinion in the ranks of the Democratic party You as well, have caught the contagion, as shown by several able articles ap- bearing in your columns fsvoring the primary plan. It is a most serious ques- ton. and one to be considered maturely
 before official action should be taken. Without being fully prepared to dissent from your views. questions of seeming vital importance have suggested them- selves to my mind. unfavorable to the plan. In the abstract, and as matter of Justice. without reference to conditions 1t may be. that the primary plan has the adVantage of the argument. But, is this the time is 1t now practical and if so, does the power exist m the Executive Committee to make the radical change rom conventions to primaries? These and other considerations. aside from those of a mere personal nature. force them selves upon the thoughtful mind At the inception. we are met with the first prop osition suggested. Unless this power is vested in the State Executive Commit tee. further discussion is useless Of this. confess. l am not now sufficiently posted to discuss, or even to give an opinion, as l have not had the oppor-
 tunity to examine the records of our late State Conventions. If. however, the present system was adopted by d State Convention and remains unchanged by that fundamental authority. (which is of
 course. conceded), then the Executive Committee has not the power to make the proposed change unless that power has been expressly or by necessary inn plication conferred on the Committee by State Convention: and this authority now stands unrepealed by any subsequent
 convention Of the party. Admitting, how ever, for the sake of argument that this power is vested in the Committee,
 yn hN
 necessarily involved. Representation on population. rather than a property or voting basis, is a Democratic doctrine in our form of government, both State and reoeral, and Is in fact engrafted in the present Constitution of the State, safe guarded as no other provision is from amendment; and, upon this, the National Democratic party by it's representatives tnnlo tn congress may soon be called upon to nght over again the issues presented bv the force bills of reconstruction days or brought about by the passions aroused Tn those memorable and unhdlloWed times. To now insist on State primaries Tn our party. may cause us to be accused by our adversaries in Congress of in consistency. and thus rob us not only of weapon of defense. but create one of attack in their hands. This presents q question at least serious enough for con sideration.
 1T we, adopt the primary plan, few will olsagree with tho proposition. that 1t must pc con1ned 10 Democratic voters A
 white primary" without regard to par ty lines, would result in untold mischief: in fact would not only further disinte. grate the party, but would render a pri- mary both useless and absurd A free for all scrub race would be far better a c It would be deprived of the ridiculous at titude we would assume by holding nri maries, in which all White men couid participate without reference to politi cal affiliations. While both will lead to the same results a complete wiping out or all party lines and hence of all organ izauon, the one would have at least the stamp of honesty on it's face. while inc other would be tinged with thin coat ing or Veneering of hypocricy and deceit. too apparent to really deceive Becauss we have practically eliminated the negro vote from State politics, Is no reasonI why We should not keep up our party organization, even with the remnants left upon which to build hereafter. Few, dare say. will disagree with me, when l say, that since the unwise step was ta- ken. of letting down the bars'' we have really. and as matter of fact, had no party. The name only has been pre- served, and that name is yet left us., around which we hope to rally as party of principles. as well. We cannot afford to again make the same mistake; and submission of our nominations to a white, instead of a Democratic primary, would but emphasize this fatal error Of the past. This being so. and therefore talk ing it for granted that the only primary we can seriously consider must be ono in which white Democrats alone can participate. the serious question at once arisesi how are the lines to be drawn? Without offense to any one, contend Ca matter of common notoriety), that since