Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-05-14
Lieutenant Gcvefnof favofs The
Retention Of The Present System.
VOTER Can GIVE FREE EXPRESSION


tenant Governor Ellyson. the chalr'
| man of In. state Democratic com
mitt"e and Il long.tricd veteran In tn"
matter OF politics, has DECLARED IN
/ favor of The retention Of the primary
| system.
| II, SAYS Il isn't anything like y"
expensive a proposition rs lis enc
mics alleg". but he admits that n"
would like to So" the state pay All
IN. costs. Moreover. he wants all
| proper safeguards thrown AROUND the
| system
Mr.. Ellyson suggests that any par
~ which in the next preceding gen
cral election shall have polled 20
000 votes shall be entitled To have tue
! state pay the expenses of its prima-
rics.
The state chairman puts his views
| in these words:
The question Of how pest to Sc
lect nominees, especially IN our
J choice of state officers. Is one about
which there is an earnest din"ren""
| of opinion among the Democrats OF
! the state. bm, am firmly persuaded
!
weighed, both for and against the
primary. that the primary affords n
better opportunity for free and I'M
trammeled expression of the prefer
ence OF the voters.
| Il think great deal of prejudice
has been awakened against the pri-
! mary because there is n widespread
impression that 1t is SO expensive as
| to practically exclude all but the rich
from competition for the higher hon
Ors the party has to offer. Bat is this
true? unhesitatingly say 1t is not.
We have had only one state primary
and only one assessment for state OF
ficers In that primary.
| Now, what are the facts as to the
cost OF each candidate in the primary
OF 1905? 1t was my honor TO be tn"
| chairman OF the state committee
which made the assessment. dis
bursed the funds in that campaign
and l can therefore speak with accu
| racy as TO these assessments and ex
penditures. They were as follows:
| candidates for the United States
Senate and for governor were each
assessed $500.
| candidates for lieutenant governor
were assessed 500.
/ Candidates for state treasurer
were assessed $500.
| Candidates for attorney general
| were assessed $500.
| Candidates for secretary OF the
commonwealth were assessed 5000.
! Candidates for superintendent OF
public instruction were assessed 5000,
when the primary was over 1t was
| found that the assessment had been
made much more than was needed to
conduct the primary. ard ]. therefore,
had the pleasure Of returning to each
candidate 81 per cent Of the amount
contributed by them, so that
Candidates for United States Sen.
ate and for governor had 10 pay only
$632.96.
| Candidates for lieutenant governor
had to pay 1920.
Candidates for state treasurer had
to pay $126.59
Candidates for secretary Of the
common wealth had to pay $S4.39.
| Candidates for commissioner of
agriculture had to pay $S4.39.
Candidates for superintendent OF
public instruction had to pay $s4.3S
Competition Bred Expense.
ct will thus IL seen that the ex.
pense OF holding the primaries In all
the counties and cities of the COM
monwealth cost each of the candi
dates only the small sums above men
toned. am. OF course. aware OF the
fact that larger sums were spent by
them. but this cannot be charged Il
the primary system. because wher.
ever there has been active competi.
tiOn those who are familiar with such
expenditures know what equally as
large sums have been spent. and in
some cases larger sums have been
spent in securing nominations by
conventions. than We're expended by
any candidate in the primary election
81 1905.
Ia making this statement have
before ne the sworn statement Of all
the candidates Of the total amounts
/ expended by each during she cam
paign Of I.'S. including both what
was paid TO the committee and the
amount personally expended in other
ways.
Il have been among those who
have. since the institution Of thr
state primary. desired that the eX.
peuse of the primary should he Is.
sumad nv tho commonwealth and
that any party having cast as many
as 25.6"o votes in the next preceding
general election should have the right
TO have its Expenses paid by the
stale. and that III" primary should br
hedged aIuui such restrictions as
world make its cnnduct in every par
tisular as fully projected rs are our
general elections
y am IN favor of legal primary
and the payment Of the EXPENSES by