Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-06-19
UNFAIRNESS OF THE PRI-
MARY.

Opposition to the primary was
mainly because of the expense,
which, for most Offices, barred
the poor man from becoming a
candidate. For the State to pay
the expense means additional
cost to the tax payers and an
increase in the number of cleo
tions. To pay for Democratic
primaries out OF the public cot
fers means to pay also for Repub-
lican primaries.
At Roanoke last week there
was much outspoken Indignation
that perpetuation ofthe primary
was q Congressman's trust.
Given the district committee
which he usually hasa Con-
gresham, by the primary, can
perpetuate himself in office.
Not long ago the Richmond News
Leader said this: sit costs a
Democratic candidate a stake of
5000 to enter the congressional
race in the Sixth district, and but
$500 in the Tenth. These state
ments are made by several es-
teemed contemporaries, but no
explanation is offered. The News
Leader would be glad to be en-
lightened. We had supposed
that in these two districts hon
ors were easy"
At Roanoke Congressman
Jones is reported as saying: Sin
my Congressional district the
assessments have never been ex-
eessive, and / do not believe they
ought to be anywhere. h" 300
may not be much to a congress-
man with the political machin-
cry well CREASED, but it will for
ever stall a man of moderate
means, when to plank it down
means he will have to get over
more ground in sixty or ninety
days than can the swiftest drum
mer-a territory as here divided
into five distinct geographical di-
visions, with little homogeneity.
No new man is going to measure
swords with one known for
many years over such a vast
and disintegrated territory. So
the conquering hero comes and
draws from his district commit.
tee the nomination and the $500,
or$4OO, or 5000 bluff he planked
down.
We are satisfied with the ac.
ton of the Roanoke convention
on this line, since unless shorn
OF the expense and biased ma
nipulation the primary will kill
itself. If one of the two things
is not effected we still maintain
that it will kill the party.
Says the Fredericksburg Free
Lance:
There are many Democrats who
oppose it, and we have, on more than
one occasion, expressed the opinion that
1t had proven an absolute failure.
Nevertheless, it would be unwise, in
our judgment, to precipitate a fight
upon the question at this time. If it is
killed before its natural end comes.
there will be hard feeling and animosi-
ties which will never heal; whereas, if
1t Is allowed to fall of its own weight
as 1t surely will, in our Judgment
party unity will remain intact. The
expense to the candidate is not the only
or even the chief objection to the pri-
mary. The rancor which is caused by
the public discussion of party affairs,
the personalities INDUCED in, and the
ammunition furnished the opposition
thereby. together with the multiplicity
OF elections it involves, afford a COM
plication of diseases sufficient to kill
the poor fellow, without hitting him a
blow" ="
Along the line of feelings
to be aroused by it, we take this
from last weeks Tidewater Dem
Ocrat:
1.-The campaign in the Eighth Dis
trict between Carlin, the present in
cumbent and R. Lindsay Gordon, which
closed on Tuesday, has been one of the
hottest ever waged in the State of
Virginia for congressional honors.
Just an extract from the Orange OBJ
server will suffice to show that bitter
personalities were dragged into the
campaign and that the most intense
feeling has existed between the candi-
dates and their supporters. The OBJ
server (whose editor is LADY, sadly
comments: Because we have seen fit
to support Hon. C. C. Carlin in this
campaign, we have been abused, cursed.
threatened, maligned and boycotted by
several of Mr.. Gordon's partisan
friends. We have also received most
profane, abusive language over the
telephone from them, and this to a
woman tool"