The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-03
IPRNNARY IN FORCE
IN MOST STATES
System Has Been Adopted and Is
Approved in All Sections of
the Country
HAS NOV PROVED EXPENSIVE.
Candidates. According to Mr..
Jones, Spend Less Than Where
Primary Is Not Used.
HAS NOV PROVED EXPENSIVE.
Tines Dispatch Bureau,
Sfunscy Building
washington. D. c.. May /.

'a Munsey Building,
Washington. d. c.. May 2.
Is Talk Of changing or abolishing the
Virginia primary has aroused Repre-
SENTATIVE William a. Tones. the father
gof the primary as lie is known In
Virginia At the Democratic conven-
ton at Roanoke in 1897, Mr Jones led
the fight for a primary, in which cam
ddates for the United States Senate
should be nominated. He lost the fight
-Four years later, at Norfolk, the Demo-
cratic State convention adopted reso-
luton. written by Mr.. Jones. commit
ting the Democratic party TO the prin-
: ciple of the selection of party candi-
! dates at primary elections. Mr.. Jones
3 practically wrote the first primary plan
{ adopted in pursuance of.the above reso-
luton, and was chairman of the COM
4 mittee on resolutions at tile state con-
: yention at Richmond in 1904. which re-
: vised the plan OF primary elections in
!, several important particulars. 1t will
y be recalled that when Mr.. Jones. as
Z chairman Of the committee. presented
s the amended plan to the convention.
Senator Martin was recognized by the
3chair and moved Its adoption.
This talk OF doing away with Viz
2 ginia's primary plan has moved Mr..
I, Jones to gather much information re-
garding the operation OF the primary
I system in other States.
How the Plan IIns Grown.
When the Norfolk convention, seven
s years ago, after the question OF sena-
!. toral primaries had for four years
$ been an issue, adopted a resolution
: committing the Democratic party to
4 the principle of the selection of party
I candidates at primary elections" said
( Mr.. Jones to-day, considerably less
: than one-half of the States of the
/ Union had adopted the primary sys-
: tenn. Now. in just thirty-five of the
!. forty-six States primary elections are
: in vogue. These States, in the main,
: are the most important and the most
: progressive in the Union.
: 1T is significant that every Demo
: cratic State in the Union. which In
= cludes, OF courses, every Southern State,
!. q great majority Of these States the
: primary has been legalized. In quite
4 a number of them the law makes pri- |
mary elections compulsory upon all
political parties, whilst in some, al
though the law provides the legal ma
chinery for the primary the adoption
s of the system is left optional with each
political party
I'm one or two of the States where
one or more of the political parties
have adopted a primary system. the
!, Legislature has not undertaken to pro-
g vide any legal machinery, but has sim
:, ply declared that where frauds are
s committed at such primary elections,
= those guilty OF such frauds shall be
punished in the same manner in which
y officers conducting general elections
s. are punished.
!. IN the State of New Jersey candi-
b dates are not voted for directly. but
delegates to nominating conventions
I. are selected at primary elections.
How North Carolina Does.
"ln North Carolina somewhat sim
liar system prevails, but it is provided
j that the delegates sent to the noml-
mating conventions at primary elections
!. cannot cast the votes which they rep
Z resen. for any other candidates than
.-thosesyfor whom the voters indicated
their choices. ts'o.Y5'
Although party primaries have ex-
listed in Ohio for years. the Legisla-
.ture OF that State has Just enacted
an elaborate compulsory primary law.
which is to take effect on the 1st of
January next Maryland, too, has just
passed a primary law, which will go
into effect at the beginning of the
coming year.
In nineteen cut of the thirty-flve
States that have primary systems, the
expense of holding the primaries is |
paid either BY the State or by the
counties and municipalities. and in
only sixteen States. Virginia bong of
that number, are candidates assessed to
pay the cost of conducting tho pri
maries.
"Ot the eleven States which thus far
have not adopted the primary system of
nominating candidates. only one is of
any considerable Importance. OF the
eleven States which still adhere to the
old convention system may be men
toned Nevada, Montana. Utah, Colorado
Wyoming, Rhode Island and Delaware.
Compared to Delaware.
There has been one senatorial pri-
mary held in Virginia and one for the
nomination OF a gubernatorial candi-
date" concluded Mr.. Jones. 1T is safe
to affirm probably that the aggregate.
Of the assessments upon the candidates
who We're voted for at those elections
was less than has been expended for
years in the little State of Delaware
In securing the nomination and election
of members of the Legislature itself
indes1 it is popularly believed that
one candidate fer the Senate IN that
State spent more in electing the Legis-
nature, composed comparatively speak
Ing. of very few members than the
total amount expended in conducting
primary elections in the state Of Vir-
pinia from the day OF the adoption of
h.. nm m hp