The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-06
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1908,
pRIrlARY ELECTIONS.

I'VE declare ourselves as favoring the
principle Of tho selection Of party candl-
dntes by primary election; believing this
20 be the surest method of arriving at the
will OF the people and maintaining Demo
cratic institutions.
I'VE accordingly direct the State Cen
trail Committee to provide primary
election plan for the choice of party can
didates for the United States Senate and
.or all elective State offices; and for
members Of tho House OF Representa-.
tives OF the United States; for members
i Of the General Assembly and for county
! Ind municipal offices, except where no
In the case OF county and municipal
offices where for special reasons, the
local party throughout shall deem 1t In
expedient. And the party plan OF. or.
ganizaton In SO far as the same may
conflict with any Of the above require
nents. is hereby altered to that extent
Eve further favor the enactment by
the General Assembly of law legalizlng
the primaries to be conducted under tho
plan herein provided for
The above is an extract from the Vir-
GINA Democratic platform adopted by the
Convention. assembled in Norfolk, on
August 18th. 1902 It is plain and speci.
tic and its meaning cannot be misunder-
stood AS for the primary to nominate
candidates for the United States Senate
for all elective State Offices for members
of the General Assembly, the instruction
to the State Central Committee is posi-
tive and the committee has no discre-
ton in the matter. The Convention made
the law and the law is binding If 1t is
to be repealed, the repeal must be by the
same authority which made the law, the
regularly constituted Convention Of the
Democratic party Of Virginia
There is great deal of talk about Ill
tered, even by State Convention until
it has been thoroughly tested? In seve-
raj other States of the South this plan
has been In effect for years, and it Is SO
far as we can ascertain. the most salts
factory plan of making nominations
objection which has been raised to tho
plan, according to our view, Is the ques-
, ton of expense. That Is serious ques-
ton, but 1t is problem than can be
solved by the patriotism and party affec-
ton of Democrats It seems to us en-
tirely reasonable to assume that at prac-
tically every election precinct in the State
of Virginia. enough true and loyal Demo-
Gratis can be found to conduct the cleo
ton without cost to the candidates. In
deed 1t seems to us unreasonable to as
= sumo the contrary. lie Is a very poor
Democrat, truly, who is not willing to
give one day Of his time In the course o.
year or two to the work of his party,
and we remark, also that in our opin.
Ion better men can be had without pay
than with pay. The man who will not
serve as Judge of election in a party pri-
mary without pay, must have very little
interest in the welfare Of his party and
his State.
of course men cannot be compelled to
perform this service gratuitiously and 1t
will doubtless be necessary in some cases
to pay the election officers. But IL the
right sort of an appeal be made by the
partytorga hization and by the candidates
we>dlave confidence enough in the Demo-
~crats OF Virginia to believe that in tie
great majority of cases. 1t will not BIO in
vain.
We note also, and direct the attention
of the General Assembly to the fast that
the Norfolk Convention put itself on re-
cord as favoring legalized primary.
We should certainly be glad to sec such
a bill passed, SO that the proposed pure
elections law may be applied In the pri-
uaries as well ms in the gcnarl cleo
ton. Under existing conditions our main
contests are in the primaries and they
should be safeguarded by all reasonable
restrictions of law. What possible OBJ
lection there can be to egaizing q prl-
mary. We cannot see. 1t was certainly
the design of the trainers Of the Consti-
tuition that the General Assembly should
enact q law to that effect. Section 3G q.
article II provides that "The Genera
Assembly SHALL enact such laws as arc
necessary ana proper LOT Inc purpose o.
securing the regularity and purity o.
general, local and PRIMARY elections
and preventing and Furnishing any cor
rupt practices In connection Herewith"
And so VIC have 4 Recommendation
from the Democratic Convention and {
mandate from the Constitutional Convcn
lion that primaries be lesalized by &C
Of the General Assembly. How can tn
General Assembly escape this bounde,
dutyg
POISONED WITH TOBACCO.