The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-30
WEDNESDAY,, AUGUST 80, 1905. !
The Primary.

The result OF the election Of last week
does not justify any disparagcmcnt OF
tho primary method of selecting candi-
dates, nor does it justify demand that
.ho plan be abrognted by Virginia Demo-
rrats. AS an original and consistent
advocate of the popular method OF choos-
Ing candidates for all offices, The Times
Dispatch, during the progress OF inc
campaign was Il close student OF cNchls.
There was no occurrence which justified
dissatisfaction Nor does an analysis of
The results support an argument for tho
abrogatlon of the system.
1t was with surprise, therefore, that
We read letter from an esteemed con-
tributor, Dr. Thomas r. Evans, Of Al
colt. w, Va, in the course of which
this paragraph occurs:
..rhe result of the late primary must
strike many with the fact that senator
Martin is not very popular, anu that
Governor Montague's friends dld not
vote. The country voter evidently ielt
,hnt his vote would not count and lie
did not vote
There is no question that Governor
Montague did not have enough friends
who voted. But the assertion OF our
correspondent that there was not iull
Democrats vote pollcd in Virginia Is a
mistake. The figures printed in The
Times Dispatch yesterday morning
showed that 1904 votes we're cast in
the primary of last week. The returns
are not complete. 1t is believed the OIL
fetal count will show the total vote to
have been not far short of 10000
The vote cast for Judge Parker IN
Virginia less than one year ago was
$685. That the excitement ana Nhc
universal interest attendant upon a pres.
identiai election should not have caused u
larger Democratic vote TO be polied thah
was cast ut a primary election for tho
nomination, OF candidates for State Of
fices, and for, the United States Senate,
is extraordinary. It demonstrates the
remarkablo interest the Democrats took
In The primary contest. That alone JUS
tjfies the continued use Of this method
OF making party nominations
The second assertion OF our correspon-
dent is that the country Voter did not
vote because he evidently felt his vote
would not be counted. Was 1t not Arte'
mus Ward who said his chief objection
TO certain friend was that he khe"
so much what warn't So? our cor
rcsnonden,'s declaration concerning tn
81 .,yn iriu am tho ungEi
mism Of the country voter would CIV
Democrats the crccps and cause JudS
Lewis and his friends to chuckle an
chortlc. were It true.
II isn't true. The farmers did vot
very generally. Those of Eastern an
Sou,hside Virginia were busy cuttln
tobacco. A good vote was polled !
most OF the tobacco counties. the mar
upcr of the campaign Of one of the sue
cessful candidates remarked in this cit
yesterday that his principal would nay
received ten thousand more votes tina
were cast for linn had the election o.
Cured a month later, when the lopAcf
crop would have been housed. Assam
ing this 10 be true. the vote cast in II
primary election would have been a
,ually larger than that polled in q pres
dental contest We are inclined TO b
lleyo the busy season With the tohac
farmers did cause q material reducti'
in The size of the vote.
our correspondent thinks Govern
Montague should not have gone on i
stump. lie says:
'"rhc average VirginIan Is peculiar
his pride oil character. He win not 10
for "a man VINO exposes the faults
sins OF his intra-party adversary, II
considered yenal and updguiled TO
So and II Governor Montague mad y
taken The stump he would hape Teeely
i. larger vote
Che pNmes-DIspatch cannot take
view That tho primary has hurt
Democratic party in Ytrginla. We do !
believe The speeches made by Cover
Montague, nor those which Senator NJ
lin delivered. produced lasting harm
their party. Earh expressed what Y
in his mind Tie whole mass OF mat
was referred 70 the people, The PEG
spoke. II there be any serious disp'
ton 10 refuse 10 accept the popu
verdict We hsye not discovered IL
We 90 not admit that there " q be,