Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-06-15
THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1905.
HE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.

THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
From present indications the Vir-
ginia Democracy will not find their-pri-
mary elections as desirable as it was
claimed they would prove. One OF the
boasts made by the advocates of the
primary system was that it would give
the people chance to say who their
candidates should be, and in that way
prevent such selections being made by a
machine. The approaching primary is
likely to dispel that illusion in more
ways than one. Take the contest for
the Gubernatorial nomination, for IN
stance. There are three candidates for
that nomination, to-wit: Joseph E.
Willard, Claud A. Swanson and William
H. Mann. Each of these candidates
has considerable following and it now
looks like the Democratic vote would be
pretty evenly divided between them. II
this occurs the Democrats will have as
their nominee for Governor man who
has received little more than one
third of the votes polled at their pri-
mary. He will be minority candidate,
and consequently not candidate chosen
by the people.
The claim that the primary will break
the power of the. machine is also likely
to prove untrue. In many counties and
cities of the State there is a certain
Democratic machine or ring in control.
That machine will control the appoint
ment of those who will conduct the pri-
maries; and if there is disposition to
do questionable machine work ample
opportunity will be afforded. That such
work is feared or anticipated is evil
deneed by recent appeals made by the
Democratic press for honest primaries.
1t is further evidenced by the corrupt
practices of rival machines in the city
of Norfolk in connection with the reg
istration and poll tax payments.
Another disagreeable result for the
Democracy, that is likely to follow the
primary, is the kindling and charging
of fractional feeling in the party. The
party is already divided into factions
and the preliminary work of the prl-
mary has made the line more acute be-
tween these factions. This has been
made manifest in the contest between
Senator Martin and Governor Montague
for the United States Senatorship.
Before the canvass began deep feeling
of rivalry existed between these lead
ers and their followers; and at each
progressive step taken in the campaign
that feeling has been greatly intensified.
The Montague men have been largely re-
sponsible for this. Their leader in his
first speech gave them the cue and they
have not failed.to take it up and use it.
The record of Senator Martin has been
assailed with an earnestness that can
not fail to awaken a feeling of bitter
resentment among his followers. His
first election as Senator has been Of
fered in. evidence to prove that he is
corrupt and unworthy to represent the
State in the United States Senate. 1t
is charged that he debauched Demo
cratic Legislature, by that means
encompsssed the defeat of Fitz Lee,
and that a Democratic committee Of
that Legislature had whitewashed and
concealed the corrupt transaction. This
charge is now followed by one, that the
Martin machine is secretly working ito
see that Martin men are everywhere
elected or nominated for the General
Assembly," Of course the Martin
men are doing this, and they are shrewd
enoagh 20 know that the Montague ma
chine is doing the same thing. Such
arrant hypocrisy ON the part of Mr..
Montague and his machine can only
serve to arouse for them on the part OF
Mr.. Martin and his supporters more
intense feeling of disgust,
Upon the whole it strikes us that the
primary will prove most unsatisfac-
tory scheme for our Democratic friends.
1t will fail to ascertain the real senti-
ment of a majority of the people OF
Virginia; it viii not be conducted with
absolute fairness; it will exclude men of
moderate means from seeking office;
and it will be the means Of creating
bitter fsctional differences in the party
ranks.
PARTIAL INVESTIGATION.