Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-29
IN THE OLD DOMINION
PRIMARY PLAN Is LIKELY TO
BE REPEALED.
,cial Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star.
RICHMOND. Va. March %. 1905.
Just who will go to the democratic ma
tional convention from Virginia is a mat
ter of conjecture. Much depends on the
sentiment that will develop at the
Roanoke convention. If Virginia in
| structs its delegates it will be
| breaking a long-established rule. True.
| some twenty years ago there was a
division of the delegates between Cleve-
land and Hill. and in another instance the
unit rule was applied. This was done at
| the request of Senator Daniel. and in that
case the state delegation was not commit
ted to any one person. 1t simply voted as
unit. Now the proposition is to have
| the delegates committed to Col. Bryan
and to have it instructed to vote for him.
regardless of what may develop when the
| convention assemblies. The leader of this
sentiment is former State Senator a. +.
Thomas of Lynchhurg. who is also oppos
ing Senator Daniel for the United States
Senate.
| Senator Daniel and Mr.. Thomas vote in
the same precinct in the county of Camp
bell on the outskirts of the city of Lynch
burg. Mr.. Thomas has announced that he
will be a candidate for the state conven
ton. 1t is known that Senator Daniel
will also be q candidate. having for years
represented his precinct in state Conven-
tons. Mr.. Thomas denies that there is
any feeling whatever between himself
and Senator Daniel, saying he Is merely
exercising his right to stand for dele
gate. a right which he accords to any
other man. Mr.. Thomas is a red-hot
Bryan man. but he has not always been
that way of thinking. When Bryan was
first nominated Mr.. Thomas was opposed
to him. and he appeared in the prints of
the state as opposed to the policies of
Col. Bryan. He even went so far to
vote for the gold democrats or else he
did not vote a all. That is the statement
made by Senator Halsay to The Star cor
1respordent here a day or two ago.
Will Repeal Primary Plan.
If the sentiments of one of the candi-
dates for the gubernatoria nomination
can be taken as an indication, then the
party primary plan is to he repealed at
the Roanoke convention or there will be
a fight in that direction that will serve to
attract attention. Judge r. r. w. Duke
of Charlottesville is the gentleman who is
taking the initiative for the repeal of the
plan. He made that statement before the
meeting of the state committee here when
the selection of the time and place for the
convention was being discussed. He said
he wanted the counties and cities to or
ganize and select such method as it might
for the choosing of delegates to the con-
venton. He came out with the Unquali-
fed declaration Of war against the pri-
mary lin any form. shape manner"
The primary plan was inaugurated some
four years ago and was made to accom-
plish a specific purpose-the defeat of
Senator Thomas s. Martin. And it failed
for the purpose for which it was created
The plan is unpopular. The chief objec-
ton is that II costs candidates too much
to get into contests. Only men of means
can offer for positions 1t is known that
one candidate for governor three years
ago returned an expense account of just
ii few dollars less than the total salary
of the four-year term in the executive
mansion. Poor men are eStopped from
offering for any office. 1t costs $500 to
stand for Congress in this district, to say
nothing of the expense of conducting a
campaign for four months. and there is
the campaign to be made just as though
there had been no expenditure of cash. In
fact. two campaigns have to be made-one
for the nomination and another for the
election. The primary is strongly opposed
I'm many PARTS of the state. Representative
William \. Jones. the champion Of the
scheme. was in attendance on the state
committee when the suggestion of Judge
Duke WaS received with "A volley Of ap-
plause. Mr.. Jones. however, made no