The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-01-14

OF our papuc omcerH involves two cleo
lions, namely. a. the election Of par.
ty nominees BY every political party,
and (e) the choosing from these nom
llnees in the general election by the
whole body of the people of the pub
lie otiicers. II is very right and prop
er that All the steps be regulated byl
iaw, TO the end that IN this. as In an
other matters Of goyernmen, the pub
lie welfare be best promoted, There,
fore, II Is Incumbent on the Legisla!
ture to dictate the manner in which
these nominees shah be chosen.
Primary elections.
The sentiment Of the people Is I'M
favor OF primary election for this pars
pose. With that sentiment I fully
agree. While admitting 1t IS not al
perfect method and not without OBJ
lection. yet 1t is the fairest, freest and
best. j commend to yon the passage
Of law that will require every politi.
cal party so to choose its nominees;
that the election be held atspublic ex-
pense.S by officers chosen and sworn
under the law; that It be held on one
tya at every polling place in the
State, and that every safeguard possi-
Bile be thrown around it'so as to make
It free from fraud. corruption and 9TH.
er evils. Not only shoald all nominees
to be elected by the people be so chos.
en-, but candidates for Senators of the
United States should be selected In
the same manner. There are many
reasons why senatorial nominees
should be SO selected AS 1t Is now,
in every election of members OF our
Legislature, members OF one or both
branches are nominated and support.
ed with principle reference to their
preference among announced candi.,
dates for Senator. If a candidate for
Senator is man Of large means he
lis able to assist in the nomination
and election of his friends and the
men SO assisted" feel bound to vote
for the candidate who SO assisted
them. Thus, 1t often happens that the
man who has the most money is chos.
en- Senator regardless often OF his at.
ness by reason OF ability or training
for this great office. That his is a
serious public wrong goes. without
saying. If candidates for Senators
were chosen in the manner here advo.
Gated, 1t would remove much Of the
wrongful use of money by rich candl.
dates, would make Senators more care
full of public sentiment, would enable
the people to select men to serve in
the Legislature with reference to their
fitnss for that purpose alone, and
would save much valuable time in the
sessions Of our Legislature.
4 Registration Law.
. BY amendment adopted by the Leg
islature of 1901 and ratified by the
people in 1909, registration is consti.
tutional prerequisite to voting. This
is radical change. for before this II
: was expressly provided in the consti
tuition that registration should not be
a prerequisite. 1t may be It would
have been better to have simply
stricken out the provision In the con
stituion prohibiting registration as Q
prerequisite, but the constitution Il
to be obeyed whether we think 1t Is
wise or unwise. The registration Law
now in force is failure. 1t requires
the assessor to register the voters;
the assessor begins his, work the first
of April; the election does not occnl
until seven months later; hence,
large portion of the voters registered
in the precincts may have moved from
the PRECINCTS where they have beer
registered into other precincts. And
this alont has been to get registra
tion system that would be efficient ant
at the same time not too expensive
Among the many plans that have
heard discussed am inclined to Ia
vor that proposed to me by Mr.. R. B
Bernheim, clerk OF the county court o
Mcdowell county, the salient points o
which are: The county court shall ap
point a registrar for eahc election pre-
cinct, who shall sit two days previous
to the election, Of which proper nc
tice shall be given; bat he shall reg
lister all voters who he knows hav,
the right to vote In his precinct with
! out application to him: the last sit
: ting would be, say, ten days before tn,
,, election; the voters would be register