The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1908-02-27

Io;the Repupllcans or West Virginia :,
AS republicans and as citizens you
are asked to share my confidence. No
more will be said than is absolutely
necessary to make my position clear,
and whether your mind is willing or
mot, read, consider and decide. If.
however, fairly and honestly. Won
conclude that in the forty years of
my service have ever weakened in.
my allegiance to the cause of repub-
,hcantsm, have backslidden in any
OF its cardinal principles, then say l
have no standing before you. - 8,
81 Today, at an adjourned meeting lof
the Republican county committee Of
Kanawha county 1aaa one of the can
didates for he oIh ina Hon OF goVer-2
nor, I fled fortnal b nt gtes st3 Iag inst the
call of said for q prffn,a arg q
electtpnis hoIa us Ana,
unfair Ror the To ysl s. Teasons 4: 3;
s1 1st. fise ie aa from
repnb tSss; q oaaty' y
Ethe right to schS,g to- tia;
sssa Ina tiiff OH ana
vests IT. fnE the sssa ctsssf fut i candfdat
ri laicss W ltsS
matt tAf stars IS sSS III ssa9a
gsss
nd III fl1 ife
sS for 4 SdYi
az a
said candidates. shall happen to be
residents Of KanaWha; county. ~
3rd. 1t renders the party helpless
to, reject the candidacy of any per-
son for any office, other than that of
governor, no matter how objectiona-
BILE his candidacy might be, if he be
the sole candidate for said Office and
a resident Of Kanawha county. 4
4th. Because the primary, set for
March Z, is 80 early that the condi-
ton Of the roads and the weather
will make it impossible for a majority
of the voters in the country districts
to participate.
The call Is clearly in violation of
the rules of the state committee,
which is the supreme court Of the
party, when it Is undertaken to dele
gate to any individual the power to
name delegates, and 1T is in violation
Of the principles of representation,
and thus dangerously threatening
to party spirit, If not to party sue.
cess. The state committee wisely
provides that delegates shall be Sc,
lected by the people in primaries,
conventions or other proper meet
ings, and 1 would not, were l success
full in any such primary, exercise a
privilege that belongs solely to the
people, and which can not be usurp-
ed by the action Of any committee
have always declined when a CAM
didate to take advantage Of such an|
offer, and insisted that the voters
make their own aelectipns. The Ka-
nawha county committee provided in
the call that delegates to the state
delegate and judicial convention be
selected in district mass conventions,
thus recognizing in one instance the
right Of the people and denying 1t in
another. Should the Kanawha coun-
ty plan be followed throughout the
state, the convention would tbe com
posed Of delegates selected at the
whim and caprice Of. three men, as
there are but three known candidates
for governor
The vast majority Of Kanawha
county republicans do not wish to
discriminate against any candidate,
yet they are thus represented under
this call, for no candidate, except for
the office of governor, can enter the
primary, unless he happens to be a
resident of Kanawha county.
There are number of other seri-
Gus objections to this call which will
be brought out when my protest is
heard by the state committee.
Very truly yours,