The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-13

lii
side over It's affairs. Long live jefferson
University, and Its first president. '3
.--=-==--==
Out of Their Own Mouth.
State Senator Keezell, Of Rockingham,
as quoted In The Tlmes-D Dispatch Il this
mornlngyl,as estimated that the cost Of
candidacy for the governorship and esena-
torship In this State under the primary
system will be from eight to ten thousand
dollars for each man. The result OF TINS,
as Mr.. Keezell points out, Is that only.
rich men or men whose frlcnus can ana
will put up considerable amounts of
money for them car aspire to either OF
these offices IN the Democratic party IN
Virginia. This is about as bad MS can be-.
It means that the door of hope Is shut
in the face of n poor man. no matter what
his talents or charhcte,y unless ne IS
ready to sell himself in advancs:&sor not
one man in hundred is blessed win
friends able to give him off-hand eight
or ten thousand dollars, and the average,
man with friends of that kl n y. n OF
I care to- be- under sticli obligations 70
anybody. 81
The separate primary system, upon
which The Tlnles-Dispatcl and the Ricll-
mond City Committee, the Republican
Press and the Staunton Dispatch insist
so strenuously, must add enormously 70
the cost of candidacy, and therefore put
up the bars the higher against the as
Hpirations Of all but the rich or mortgase u.
mother Southern States candidates 1or
Governor and senator, going before the
Sneonle on the same ticket with candidates
for ali other offices, general and local. but.
required frequently to go into n second
primary because a clear majority IS re-
}uuired to nominate, find the total eX peE l'.
not more than four or five hundred DOL
lars. 4!This wanton 'piling up here Of ex.s
penscs OIL candidates, which. our local ca
contemporary pooh-poohs with such.ioi,s
Indifference, Is a very serious matter " u
several aspects. One of Its most serious
aspects is the suspicion 1t VIII arouse =.
the minds of deliberate treacherS TOWARDS
the whole primary system and the desire
To make 1t so expensive and unpopular
that It will have to be abandoned.-Rlcn-Hi
S,nond News Leader
E Tho alarm manifested by the News
Leader that the candidates In the state
primary will be bankrupted by the ex-
spense: Is a latter-day sensation, and Quite
different from the view taken by our
contemporary two years ago, as we shail
presently show. But first let us examine
a little more closely the statement OF:
Senator Kcezell. III estimating that the
primary will cost each Of the candidates
from IS, 90 to $4,000. Mr.. Keezell included.
the cost of stamps, stationery and envel-}
opes, mimeographng, stenography, type
writing, clerical services, lease Of rooms
for Headquarters kilograms, 50 railroad
fares, hire Of teams, hotel expenses while
travelling, and finally, the entrance fec
a for the expenses of the primary. All.
these expenses would be practically the
same, whether or not the contests were
to be decided by primaries Therefore,
the question Of expense raised by Senator
Keezel and exploited by the News Lead
or reduces itself to the actual cost Of
holding the election-that Is to say. IN the
main, the pay OF judges and clerks. This
question came UP two years ago, when
the General Assembly was considering q
legalized primary plan, and one of tho
objections then raised to such a plan
was that it would be very expensive TO
the candidates. The News Leader took
a hand in the discussion on that point,
and in It's issue of Thursday afternoon,
April Q, 1903, in3an article headed, ~ rl-
mary Election Expenses, said:
.'Most Of the obstacles to the adoption
Of u general primary election system in
this State are imaginary. The core OF the
whole question is in the matter of sclec-
tion Of election officers. The serious Item
of expense suggested for the primary IS
the pay OF these officials.
Gin South Carolina, where the general
primary system operates satisfactorily,
the Judges and clerks of primary cleo
tons are volunteers. They are chosen BY
the county executive committees, and
serve without pay. This is tho estab-
lished custom among the people. Almost
| invarlablySthe election officers are citi-
| zcns OF n most substantial kind, and we
| cannot recollect that there has been a
| serious charge of fraud of any KIND
| against the management of the primary
| in that State In the ten years IN which
| tho system has been used. Aside from
the character of election officers, guar
antee of fairness is given in the fact that
the primaries arc general and all held on
the same day, with all candidates Tor al
postIons, from coroner to United States
| senator. on the same ticket. This gives
| n strong local interest and influence, hnd
| makes collision to defrnud practicailS
| impossible. Any monkeying with me
| vote for United States senator, for IN
STANCE, would involve the ballots for mem
| hers of the Legislature or county COM
missioner, and the friends these can.
djdatcs for minor. places. if not actuu
| members OF the board Of election ON
GERS, would be in position to keep
close watch.
"Our recollection is that candidates arr
7. required to prS a fee into The pnrtN
/ treasury TO meet all expenses. This
ranges from 500 to 5000, contributed BY
candidates for the senate and Governor
down to s. paid by candidates for minor
4 Offices. This fund covers cost OF printing
ballots. distribution, etc, The local eS
| penses OF tho canvass, such as hire o
| music and carriages and building stands
are met by the county committees. Usual
Is the candidates for State Offices NJ
tend thirty-hve meetings held In The re
spective counties of the State, The
MOST SERIOUS ITEMS OFF EXPENSE
4 ARE TRANSPORTATION AND BOAltl
(caps ours). We have known an enerEcti
candidate for Governor to make the can
vass at cost OF less than sl0O but TIN
citizen Travelled on bicycle and arrange
| pollD ltf> arc,