The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-15
TUESDAY, MARCH is, 1901.
The Defeat Of the Macl1en Bill Bill
No one tamaliar With public sentiment me =

ID M ono tamaliar With public scntllncnL
II n,5,his state doubts the well nigh unanl-
4 nous desire for really effective primary
I election law. When the outgoing Les1s s
5,at,,re met in January The enactment OF
8isuch a law was ORG Of tho few things
upon which nearly all Democrats were
III agreed 1t is true that there were stIik-
singly divergent ideas Of how the primary
SNplsn should be formulated. Senators
\ 1leeyel and Barksdale. representing ono
extreme, were for practically retaining
5ahe present system OF nominatloE py
Il convention. while Senator Machen took
the advanced position Of enactins gem
5cral primary law, giving the voter the
+ right to vote by ballot in primaries for
u every Office ir,the gift Of the State, from
\ senator and Governor down. Finally, the
other plans wero withdrawn and the
tAIachen bill had the right Of way. IT
passed the Senate and at the tag end OF
the session went to the House. where
several far-reachilg amendments were
made. The two most striking We're those
ALLOWING the city or county committees
ITO appoint the Judges of election, and
4 allowing an outsider to go into the booth
with the voter to assist in marking the
ballot
i. So amended, the Nfachen bill came
back to the Senate, ard was promptly
talked to death by Senator Barksdalc In
Il about two hours. We arc Informed that
1.-The amendments were OF u character that
would have insured the defeat of the
eAlachcn bill, even had Senator Barksdale
$desisted in time to allow q vote
II But the fact remains that Senator
q Barksdale did not allow the vote 10 be
4 taken, and thereby deprived the Senate
ri e and the people Of Virginia OF the right
4 to8amend pr reject the bill as 1t was re-
t turned from the House of Delegates. This
Mactionfnot only took away from the Sem
ate. but also from the House of Dele
gates, the Democratic State convention
d and the people Of Virginia the opportunity
y Of enactins any primary law of any sort
Senator Barksdalc arrogated to himself
serious responsibilities In deliberately
thwartins the will Of the people, and he
has done more; he has, perhaps unlnten-
tionally but none the less surely, drawn
Senator Martin into the controversy. Civ
ing full credit 10 Senator Barksdale's
statement. which we print elsewhere. that
Senator Martin was not in any way cog
INFANT of the senator from HalifaH's ac-
ton In killing the AIachcn bill, 1t is never
theless a fact that as part Of that very
net the senator from Halifax reviewed
Z the political ct+Gdr- of:.sNirginia's junior
senator from;.thG May conference until
s to-day. and took occasion to renew his
own pledge Of personal fcalty 1t is
therefore. proper to ask Senator Martin:
Are you or are you not in sympathy
with your warm friends and admirers in
opposing a general primary law" 1t Is
true that Senator Martin expressed him.
self . few months ago as willing to abide
cheerfully by the will Of the party, nc
e matter how it might decide to. make nom
inatons. but, as Judge Iahlegar pointed
X lncnt involves no declaration Of persona
choice. Tile primary question is closer
than ever to the people Of Virginia to-day
IN view of the action OF the Senate. anc
s& unless VIC mistake the peoples temper
they will not be satisfied with an answc
based on gcneralties.
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