Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-22
NIKE scArsAT1oss or PARTY
cxxD1pATEs BIZ DELEGATED
CONVENTION.
DEFECTS OF PRIMARY PLAN.
,r,1, Knorn democrat Thinks
choice of Delegates on Same Day
would Meet Demands for State
Observation-Disclosures 7Int Choose
by Primary or Otherwise.

II have always believed that The seaec-
.Ion of delegates TO state, district, ana
co1nfy conventions on the same Gay
throughout the territory tc be represent
ed would meet all the demands ior
party primary end remove the prohiDi l
tory expense upon poor raen as aspiraa'ls
eor Office" said -ceil-kaoSvp and prom
inent Virginia Democrat yesterdas
.sIn The case of 8 State ccnvention lei
the Democratic party require that every
county aad city elect Its delegates thereto
nv Y,rtnary. mass. meetings., CT in any
wsy they desire bpt let them all De
-hnsf.n 5on the same dag. Those counties
and cities which desire to hold primaries
might do SO and defray TIE cost OF the
same without putting 1t Oh the canai-
Gates Some counties and cl1les preie
the district and precinct nass-Eneelil.s
man or the county convention plan II
they SO desire they should have right
10 ADOPT This method. The inportant
hing however is that delegates, TO all
conventions should be selected the same
day. Leaving the method of selection 10
the choice OF the various local party Or
ganizations is In accord with the prin-
eipai Of local self government and Is inc
essence Of Democracy.
ISsNl1S u
IT believe the convention plan OF max
ing nar1y nominations tends to promote
harmony and unity, and the primary
plan, with g bitter campaign on the
stump for the nomination is destructive
of such harmony. fractional bitterness is
enrendered and it is sometimes hard 70
heal BY the convention plan the rival
candidates always come forward and &C
cept the result gracefully and pledge the
support Of themselves and their friends
to the successful espirant. There is gen.
.,rallv q party love feast, and all feel
ing engendered by the contest Is healed
.'Furthermore the primary plan is de-
structive OF county and city organization.
Without having anything to do the COM
nnittees OF the county or city. the men
who do the lighting when there is real
fighting to be done. lose interest. On the
other hand. many OF the men who
,'whooped 'ern up" for favorite in pri-
mary. let their enthusiasm end there,
and frequently do not even vote for the
men they have helped to nominate, TAX
ing it for granted that others will.
1.-The time is not far distant If it is not
already at hand. when the Democratic
party in Virginia viii need to be thor
oughly and compactly organized. There
will be no room for factions then. All
must be Democrats who viii! support the
.!e L.dy DG.
perience has shown that bitterness and
factional strife is born Of primaries and
the canvass preceding them. which might
cause the defeat o. party nominee in
the event that there was strong Republ-
can opposition
WOULD oBvIATE OBJECTIONS:
These are my individual views,
thoughcully. formed and honestly stated.
! do not know what my people think Of
the operation Of the primary plan. for
my county has not had a primary yet
We have. strong Republican opposition
and have to be. united or be defeated. l
repeat. I think that the old plan of
nominating by delegated conventions to
which aHethe delegates should be selected
the same day throughout the county,
district. or State. is all that is needed,
and would ,obviate the objections to
the primary plan. That each city or
county. could oeci6e for itself whether
# desired a primary or some other method
OF choosing delegates. II it be decided
10 hold primary. then let tho local or
ganization decide by whom the expense
Is to be betrayed. and how The money is
to be raised"