Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-09-25
SOME PRIMARY TALK.


vote of the people. Nor do we ap-
prove of the so-called primary plan
to instruct our legislators how to
vote. We have seen nothing in the
history of the United States Senate
proving that body to have been any
less potent in preserving the bless
ings Of free government to the peo-
pie of this nation than has been the
other body of the National Legisla-
ture. We have never heard of any
charge of undue influence or corrup-
ton in the election Of its members or
in the performance of its duties that
could not be offset by one of like
character in the other body. We
believe that the men whom we select
from amongst us to represent our
wishes in the Legislature are as COM
petent to appoint our senator as they
are to do any other act for US, and we
have never been troubled with so keen
an apprehension of danger to our lib
critics, as to wish to leave our daily
avocation and HE us to the polls to
offer gratuitous advice to q man in
Richmond, whois not bound in honor
or morals to take the slightest notice
whatsoever of our doings. The Leg
islature has been by the people of this
country, in their Constitution, desig-
natedas the body to perform this duty,
and it is an unpatriotic, ,undemocratle,
unrepublican, uncallsd for, and med
dlesome interference by any political
to undertake to instruct
a representative of the people of this
Commonwealth how to act in the per-
forfnance of his constitutional duties,
because, perchance, he happened to
have been the candidate that that
political party had proposed to the
people for this office at preceding
election. Political parties are organ
lied for the purpose of preparing
schemes of government and Offering
10 the people at large for
election tr ohce under the Constitu-
tion of this State, and there their
business ends. 1t is q bad state of
affairs when a political organization,
having control of the election ma
chinery of State, has the bold af-
frontery to say to representative of
the people: This organization cleo
ted you. This organization controls
you, and majority of this organiza-
ton say to you vote for John Jones,
or Peter Smith, as the case may be,
when the people have already by
their votes directed him to act as
their general agent for their best in
terest.
We have never seen nor heard in
the whole history of this State of a
single case where charges of undue
influence or corrupt methods in the
election of United States senators
have been substantiated. We do not
recall when or W here a single charge
that the Legislature failed to seflect
the sentiment of the people of the
State or of the dominant party has
been snbstantiated.
We recall q great demonstration on
the occasion Of the Roanoke Conven-
tion not many years back, which was
due to a misrepresentation on the part
of some would-be-friend of our lib
critics that the peoples rights had
been jeopardized by the appointment
of Thomas S. Martin to the United
States Senate. We recall that this
demonstration ended in q fiasco iu
the celebrated May Convention that
followed in the city of Richmond
and that Thomas S. Martin was re.
turned to the Senate by the represen.
tatives of the people, where he now
serves his State with signal fidelity
and ability.
We do not wish to be understood
as opposed to the method of nemina.
ting candidates for Office by party
primaries. On the contrary we be.
lieve it the easiest method of getting
at the wishes of the people who com.
pose the organizations. The primary
plan of the State Democratic Com.
mittee, with viva voce method OF
voting, is good one, and should hav,
been adopted by every county organ,
ization in selection of candidates fol
county and district ofiicers.
We know no reason why the peo-
pie of this county should have been
called upon to come together thre,
separate times to do what could have
been done in one day.
They have been called to Montros
in mass meeting at the instance 81
some who were most ardent advocates
of primary for all but Themselves
They are expected to turn ont shortly
to district meetings, and later to at
tend primary to nominate candi
dates for the Senate and House O
Delegates, all Of whom are to b,
voted for at one general election il
the fall, and could have been al
nominated in one general primary
This, we are told, is to save expens
to the candidates. What about ex
pense to the people ?
With all due respect to the gentle
men who have the management O
the local organization here, we do no
think they have consulted the wishe
of the people, nor the desires of tn
candidates, at least not all of them
To explain that they have followe,
the usual custom in direct opposition
to the known sentiment of the pee
pie and the plain suggestion of th
State Committee, viii not tend
harmonize matters, nor to elevsi
them in the estimation of lovers {
fair play Potomac Progress.