The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-06

m, fredericksburg Free Lance says
| thni The primary, to be effective, shouid
be compulsory, so far as state ottlci f,ls
and Senators and congressman are con.
ccrned, but must not take IN county ana anu
city officials. we quote: fS
A we have stated before. we were not
mn original ndvoca 10 Of the primary plan,
but since It became n reality IN Virginia,
its fairness, It's tendency to break up the
old courthouse rings, and Its opposition
"a the former cut and dried proceedings
for 50 long prevalent in he State, has
endeared 1t to us, and to-day we would
not If we could, change back to the Ola
system. But we fear the primary does
not suit the average politician IN p1r-
ginin especially that class Of politicians
who foisted 1t upon the Democratic party
for elf-aggrantllzemcnt and vet the sys-
TEN has 80 much merit that we are m
cllned TO believe the next Democratic
state Convention will again select 1t as
the method Of choosing nominees IN TINS
state. 10 make the system eifectlFe,
however It must be compulsory only SO
far MS State officials and Senators ana
Congressman are concerned, anu nus, nus.
not take in county and city otticins' since
politics IN q great many counties ana
cities play very little part In the seec-
tor of these officials In State elections
etc. the system should be compulsory;
In local elections, discretionary.
Opposition to the Primary.
The New Castle Record has tried the
urinary system and found It wanting,
as we Judge from the following:
We are unalterably opposed to the pri-
mary election. but the reason we have not
said so before Is because we had hoped
all along we would be saved the disagree
able necessity OF having one. No plan
ever promulgated by any party IN our
humble Judgment had a greater erect IN
engendering strife and discord within the
party ranks than the present primary
plan and Its equally distasteful way OF
yotng-the viva voce method.
Dereict Democrats.
The Newport News IHmesHerald warns
Democrats against tritllng with their
State organization, as follows:
The Democratic committees IN many
Of the counties seem wholly dlslnclined
to be guided by tho rules Of the party
tee.
The Barlssdale law and the viva voce
plan both seem to have been Ignored
II, Culpeper county as we find from the
Times-Dispatch.
we cannot see what the party expects
in the State II the organization Is to be-
ignored and the mandates OF the party
.disregarded on all sides. Tho barksdnle
law is not thing to be ignored. 1t Is
a law Of tho State and there are officers
to enforce 1t and extreme penalties for It's
violation.
The provisions of the Barksdale law
are not sufficiently understood over the
State, as no succinct statement of them
has been promulgated. Many of the can
didates, even local ones, have not fully
complied with It, although In the cases
here 1t Is. only technical. The Democrats.
however, cannot afford to trnc
there will come q time when their power
will wane and their influence be lost in
every community.
Election Not Over.
In the following terms tho Eastern
Shore Herald urgts candidates to file
statements of their expenses:
That none of the worthy gentlemen
who were candidates for election at the
recent primary may find themselves in
volved In a criminal prosecution. we call
their attention to the new pure election
law, which iprovides that any person
who Snall pc 4 CtlIlQlQute tDclOIo any
caucus or conventios, or at any pri-
mary election" etc, etc, shall, within
thirty days, after the election, caucus.
convention or primary election held to fill
such office or place, make out and file
with the officer or board empowered by
law to issue certificates of election to such
office or place. and duplicate thereof
with the clerk Of the county" ETC., etc.
Some persons may imagine that those
who wero not successful at the primary
are not required to file this certificate
a little reflection will show the contrary.
Advantage in Registering This Year 4
Under the foregoing heading the Roam
oke Times says:
Despite tho wide publicity which, from
Tina to time, has been given tho sur
fraEe requirements Of the new Constitu-
ton, there still exists an astonishing
degree Of Ignorance and uncertainty con
cerning them. Tho approaching regis.
trntion to be held In this city makes
1t timely that attention should be again
| called to the matter, and a statement or
| the necessary qualifications repeated
| Not only this, but public notice should
| also be sharply directed to the fact that
unless advantage be taken Of the per-
| fectly easy and simple requisites I'm.
posed for this year, the voter desiring
registration after the lst of anuary, 1904,
will find II much more difficult to have
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