The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-03-31

n
regardless OF any example which Rich
| 1,,ond may set one way or the other.
Again our contemporary says that ne
| cause tho law requires that the state
| and local general election shall be hcld o.
| Tho same time, 4'tl,ere is norcason why
the Democratic party should make rnles
for itself contrary to the Requirements
OF the State law and have two elections
where one would do In tho text booi
adopted by thc National Municipal
League, Mr.. Frank j. Goodnow takes
different view from that presented NY the
News Leader lie says: Is
FOR many years the conviction has
been growing in strength among those
Interested In improving the conditions
OF American cities, that an important, II
not the chief, cause OF the evils which
admittedly exist In our municipal 8lile
IS the fact that municipal questions have
mot been clearly enough distingtiishcd
from general political questions;Gtha hat nu-
niclpal interests have been sacrificed to
tho cxlgcncies OF national aud State polt-
tics. IA r.
"Nhen the National Municipal League
was formed, those responsible for It's for.
nation we're SO thoroughly convinced that
this was tho case. that the separation OF
municipal from national and state poll
ties was made one of the most important
planks OF the platform on which the
League was placed. III many cities in
the country political campaigns have been
fought out on this issue.
BY all means let the people Of Richmond
keep their local affairs out Of State and
national politics. We are operating q.
sort of business corporation and the less
of State and national politics we have in
settling our local contests the better it
will be for us. The complications. in. in
volved which the News Lender does not
comprehend IRE sufficiently clear to
claim. the special attention Of the Ma
stional Municipal League, and the Clay
Ward Actives, and as for trading in cleo
ton contests, If our neighbour IS SO inno-
cent as not to understand that feature
OF the game of politics, IT is not for, us
to enlig,ten it. We remark, however,.
that 1T is no reflection upon either the
Intelligence or integrity Of the voters.
IN a contest like this, a man may very
properly give his vote to u local cnndi-
date in whom he Is not specially interest
ed in order that he may secure another
vote for d State candidate In whom he Is
Interested. There is nothing vicious about
1t, yet in the interest Of local affairs Il
is best for us tojkeep out Of contests in
which such trades may be made.
We may mention Just here another ar
gument against the single primary, which.
is that the ballot would be so long md;
SO complicated as to make 1t very diff
cult for the voter OF average Intelligence
TO mark It properly, and we believe that
an unusually large number Of ballots, for
this reason, would have to be thrown out.
III conclusion, the. News Leader says:
"The only Individual we can think of as
likely to be damaged by a single primary
here is Judge Mann, and then adds by
way of consoling itself, HE has not been
particularly careful about our interests"
5 Quite SO. The cat is out at last Our
Sneighbor has never forgiven Judge Mann
for entering the contest in spite Of It's
warning to him to keep out The single
primary is likely in the News Leaders
opinion, to damage Judge Mann There
fore, we should have a single primary.
But has the Democratic party, inswilose
n mn rrIh de 40 ,iplrt ~
take any such ungenerous position?
Isn't every candidate. even Judge Mann,
entitled to a square deai. *