The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-01

stitution. framed in 1900. and that con-
stitutfon has been amended by the plat
form OF the party adopted By the guoer-
material convention OF August. 1901. the
amendment being declaration IN FAVOR
OF the primary system. The primary
system. therefore, is to-day tho declared
"pollcy OF tn. party" In obedience to
which, says the party constitution, tho
State Central Committee must exercise
its powers.
Duty OFF STATE COMMITTEE.
Tho duty of the committee Is plain
enough. 1t is of no avail to say that
delegates to tho convention Of 1000 when
presidential electors. etc. were 70 be
named) were chosen by mass meetings.
and that therefore the State Committee
should have delegates so chosen for the
convention Of 1904 (when presidential
electors, ETC., are again TO be named).
For In the Interim the party Nolicy has
been revolutionized. and the primary has
been made an article of Democratic
falth-a keystone of Its creed. The State
Committee could not plead precedant
here, A. declaratory statute, as 1t were,
has INTERVIEWED.
( In the absence Of any conpulson to
do so, the State Committee will permit
the delegates to the next convention to
be chosen by mass meeting dhus trying
the primary before an antlpathetlc trl-
bunal), only because Of the commltten's
own deliberate choice of q system dis
credited and repudiated by the party.
PRIMARY FOR DELEGATES.
And the primary which the State Com
mittce should order for the election OF
delegates to our next convention should
DO uniform in method and held on the
same day throughout the State. That Is
the kind of primary which the party has
most explicitly declared for
And can the committee itself eliminate
the viva voce abominntion from the prl-
mary plan which II framed? Yes, Why
not? 1t never had any authority or dlrec-
ton to insert that feature. like q ''rlderi'
in the plan. Crhe question of open or
secret ballots Ia as distinct from, and rs
unrelated to. tho principles of prlma-
j rles, which Is all the last convention
adopted, as Is any other governmental
policy that could be named). The State
Committee need have no delicacy or oom,
FUNCTION about 4dlscarding viva voce
voting forthwith. An agent always has
full authority to recall his unauthorized
acts.
scFIEM1NG AGAINST PRIMARY.
80 persistent have been the enemies Of
the primary (they are greatly In the NIL
nority, but influential In professional poll
teal clrcles) in their efforts to'make II
unpopular, that In many places whore
they lead or control they have flagrantly
violated all party law and the primary
plan. as furnished by the State Commit
tee. so that strife and contest might fol-
low, and, In a general slur-oyer, DO at
trlbuted to the primary system. Tho idea
has been to make the first campaign WIS
der the plan memorable or disscnslons
and Irregularities on the calculation that
tho public will not. discriminate as to tho
causes. but strike at everything which
! went together at ono time, tThe most re-
markabla violation Of the primary plAn
has as vet passed without newspaper lln-
| tice. It was case where the primary,
for House Of Delegates, was held IN only
| n part OF the election district, BY an
agreement bstweon tho committees Of 4
| city and q county making up thnt dis
| tricl, ,.gi
But all this clanor over fac,itous
thing, this holding that primaries arc
j d sorgantzers, will fail. The people remenl-
her the mass meetings. They were annl-