The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-03-16
Give Us Two Primaries.

y
This is an important year In statcE poll
1 tics and in city politics. Democrats will
lbc called upon to nominate q candidate
lror United Stutos senator, 4 candidate sos
I Governor, for LleutennntsG ovefroi. FOL
lAttorney- General, for Secretary of the
Commonwealth, for State Treasurer, foi
SUPERINTENDENT OF Public instruction and
for Commissioner of Agriculture, There
arc eight offices to be filled. There arc
! eieht candidates to be nominated and
there nre thus far seventeen candidates
! for nomnatoih These nominations arc
| 10 be made in tho Democratic posty by
| d primary election
IN addition. We Of Richincnd are 70
have an Important primary to nominate ate
candidates for local offices. The list ems
braces candidates for Senate, House OF
delegates COMMUNICATING attorney, city
Treasurer, city auditor, sheriff, city SER
geant, high constable, city collec'or :, c'efK x
OF the Hastings Court, clerk OF the Ctian-
Gerry Court, clerk Of the Law and EQUITY "
Court, commissioner Of revenue, three
Justices OF tho peace and five members
Of the City Democratic Committee. Ihe S
are fifteen offices to be filled, and, there.
fore, fifteen candidates to be nominated,
md there nre in the Democratic party
|thirty-rine candidates for nomination.
IL there should DO but one primary to
nominate all these candidates the ballot
would contain fifty-sx names, and would
BE so long and complicated rs to make
lit very difficult for the voter OF average
Intelligence to handle. Again, under the
party plan, the State primary must n1 pc
held this year between August ,th and
Septcmbcr 7th. At that time many Rich
mond citizens are away, and 1t Is Of inn
portance IN local contest that wo should
noll as large a vote ms possible, ana "
TINT end that we should hold our election
al a time when all the voters OF the CITY
are at home. But there Is q reason far
greater than either OF these, a reus on al AZ
important, why our local primary slloulu
be held separate and distinct from INC
State primary. Richmond Is ~ business
corporation, and under the laws OF the
state, we arc permitted, within the lin
its OF our charter privileges, to manage
our own affairs In our own way anu 70
keep our affairs out Of the enta.,slements
or state politics.. 1t wohld DC foollsl,
indeed, for us to fail to anvil ourselves
OF this privilege. In the name OF conf
mon sense and good government Why ";
should we as municipality, as people
trying to get the best officers for our
own government, mix UP in State con-
test and SO becloud and complicate the
local situation? IT we have our Cit prll--j
mary coincldent with the State primary,
there will DO swapping and trading ols
candidates without number and local sin-
terests will IN all human probability be
sacrificed to the interests Of some candl-
date or candidates in the State primary
So far as we are advised all the local can
didates themselves desire separate prl-
mary, and there is no plausible argument
against II. The only objection that can
be raised Is that it would involve more
cost-more trouble and more time ~ "
the cost is TO be paid by the candidates
themselves and as for tho voters at large
in two such interesting contests rs these
there is no doubt that they VIII vote
almost to a man, 50 many Of them us
shall be in the city at the time. in each
primary
Let uy by all means have two primaries ,lts
our local interests demand It.