Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-10
ABANDONS OLD CUSTOM
VIRGINIA PRIMARY PLAN OF
NOMINATIONS WORKS WELL.
Has Had Effect in Some Districts OF
Keeping Aspirants From
the Field.

Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star-
NORFOLK, Va, May 10. 1904.
Virginia Is one OF the states I'm which the
democratic party has abandoned the old
time custom of nominating representatives
In Congress in district convention Inc
democratic state convention which met IN
Norfolk three years ago adopted primary
plan under which all candidates for once
are nominated by the people.
The primary plan, with the exception OF
the viva voce plan of voting. has worked
well and this is the second time that rep
resentatives have come UP for nomination
in such a manner In some districts 1t has
had the noticeable effect OF keeping many
asptrants out OF the field. 1t cost aspir-
ants nothing to seek the nomination for
4 Congress in district conventions, but un-
der the primary plan the expense or all
state and district primaries has to be borne
by the aspirants individually. 1t costs from
81 900 to 81. 800 to conduct district primary
and this makes the expense rather great on
those having congressional aspirations. Inc
primary plan In this way Is frequently an
advantage to the incumbent in ONCE.
Aspirants fear that they will not be able
to defeat the incumbent, and rather than
have to run the great risk of defeat and
the loss of all money put up they remain
out of the field.
Advantage to Virginia congressman.
This makes 1t cheap to be member of
Congress from Virginia for those repre-
senta tives who can become candidates in
the general election without the great ex-
pense OF a previous primary. OF the ten
Virginia districts the democratic commit
tees In eight of these have fixed dates for
coming primaries.
In this, the second district. the committee
has been called to meet May II to fix
date which leaves the fourth district the
T.. A.x- 1at xrat hnnr1
taken looking for primary. In two of
the first mentioned eight districts the In
cumbeEts have already been declared the
nominees without opposition The fortu-
nate ones are Representative Hay of the
seventh district and Representative Swan
son OF the fifth district
Two Profit by Failure Of Aspirants.
Representatives Hay and Swanson. the
two Oldest members of the lower house Of
Congress in point of service from Virginia.
are the nominees of their party without
having spent one cent except for stationery
and postage to notify their district chair
men OF their intended candidacy because
of being the only candidates to notify at
prescribed time.
Under state law in Virginia no candi-
dates for office in any general election can
spend money In any way to help themselves
into office and this takes of much of the
expenses incident to general elections.
l.. Maynard who has served two terms in
Congress, so far has no opposition. and 1t
does not look at present as though he will
have any. Representative Maynard has
made a record in the district for hard work
at Washington during his congressional
service. His work on the jamestown ap-
preparation bill has been recognized on all
sides.
The dates fixed for most Of the congress
stonal primaries is July 81. There Is q
great big fight on in the fourth district now
represented by Representative Southall
There are to be numerous candidates in
that district, among them Representative
Southall former Representative James F.
Epps and former governor William E. Cam
eron. With 80 many candidates in the field
the expenses of primary are cut down.
There 10 no second day fight, the man who
receives the highest number of votes on the
nrst day being declared the nominee. This
Is considered, however, one of the defects
or the primary plan. The next state con-
syention Is expected to make It a two days
nght when there are more than two can
didates