The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-07


am opposed to tho present primary
system Lcsalize 1t.
j. N. Walker, Mineral.
n. u. williams, Grtindy.--1t creates
divisions, which nre hurtful In conn
ties or districts where the parties are
pretty evenly divided;
J.rW. TOstcr.--Life.is too short.
Mark s..Dorton.--I thing u ronven-
tion would bos more harmonious than
q. I. Miller. Abingdon.
II. u. IJr,,wh, Brown's store.
,. W. GilinsI,ie, Thaxton
II. G. Marshall, portsmouth, have
never been In favor of 1T.
g. N. Mnrl<hnni, Portsfnoutii...li am
systeni. Tho told-ime way OF nom
mating By convention is good enough
for me.
s. u. DArhnm, Jr, Runnyncde.- Not
as at present. and hardly .ayor any.
II any to be had, think II should DC
at ~. The 9 %nn.,ntan q tho state
~. r.. Howard. Pulaskl.--Tho rc-
". n. PnttcsoD, TctersburE.-Oppo
te primaries for congressman and State
suits are no better than a ass-mect
ing The primary as 1t now stands
! debars good men from being consider
ca On aSeonnt o. Ih an, eSn malteraby OBJ
+ -
posed to 1t.
Robert r.. I.ccdy. Luray.--!!t y al
bunch OF defects, out of, Of the WI, warp 90 oil
Edgar i. white, Norfolk.--Thc pres
ent system ~ simply GU, Outrageous 81 s,,n;.
OF the majority in all cases; y,
| II. r. W. Duke, Jr., charlottesville.
i. IL. Howard, East Tadford.
| 4. J. Hun. Fleet
cially welded to the primary.
| Walter s. TIpton, Hillsville. --Oppos-
cd. but more favorable than formerly.
| NJ. Is. COmptOn.-1 do not think IL is
| fair to the poor candidate.
NJ. Mason, Pearisburg.-Thc Giles
! county delegation was instructed
| the sentiment was practically unani-
Il. a. siddons, Goochland County.
| DIR. Daniel.
! George Boisscnu.
| a. Il. Hobbs, Disputanta.
| william, a. Good, Bodycamp-l was
never an original advocate Of pri,
mary system a eonr H views S on
| that system rather than weaken them.
! When our nominations were made by
conventions the meetings were wei, AT AZ
the Introduction OF the. primary sYs-
TEN but lew OF the voters. go to the
polls. and at many precincts no 70, Polls Polls
n better expression OF the popular VIII
1 by conventions than in primaries.
Judges and clerks Of elections cannot
be found of sufficient patriotism 70
quire candidates to pay the expenses
! for the reason that men whose pecu-
mary condition Is such that they can
penses are excluded from becoming
candidates It would not appear to be
good public policy to require the coun-
ties and the State to bear the expenses .s
a few months with an additional bur
i den Of general election. In view OF
the fact that every taxpayer Is CON
creased tax rates uld approximate l,' $
by legislatures more lavishly extended
still If we must continue to nave
primary system, with such l,gnt h hs we
4 plan would be an equal division OF the
burden of 4 primary between the coun-
ties, cities and State on the one Side
| and the respective candidates. TINS
plan would not give equal Justice, and
might be Objectionable. To my mind
! there does not appear any royal ROAD
out Of the difficulty. r-,..
Robert ID. fnncey, Lynehburg..,fl rs. I, 1.
The primary system does well In city
and county elections. 1t Is democrat,
ic in theory, but under the loose ana
!! State 1t becomes q snare. deiusion
t and fraud, and 1t DISTINGUISHES over
1 half of the voters and nearly all eiiSi-
Il bile candidates for the big state Of
tices Second. If the people want the
Il primary it should be legalized by a
well-considcred. clear-cut law, WIN ~
4 strong restrictions aid regulations de,
4 filming the duties Of committees and
election officers No committee sh9uia
i have the arbitrary power as to pledSes
and amount OF assessments on the can.
Il didates, which power is used ITO bluff
4, out" voters and candidates as Well
This puts well-meaning citizens ana
i Democrats at the mercy Of a COM
1 mittee, which. IL arbitrary and unscru.
tpuious. can shut out all candidates and
4 voters who have any conscience, and
II thus constitute themselves with the
4 power to nominate without an election,
or elect before an election. How could
i anything be more conmlttee-riuden
/ and boss ridden than party under
tIthese star chamber regulations? a pri-
Inary such as this Is q "humbug OF the
/ democratic I say favor the. primary
\ theory, but the powers of the COM
mittee must be we'll defined and regu-
II LATED and the assessments left clean
Il ont II 10 rot see how this can be
4 done except by a legalized primary.
II and this doubles our elections. am
i waiting to see IL any one cun suggest
I an escape from this kind OF a,pri-
mary, or whether the party intends to
4 hold on 10 the fraud Which entities
Il every Democrat to parade the country
i with no issue but fault-fnding OF u
Il brother Democrat, provided he buys
n license from a committee 10 ilDei
u and defame his party associates under
the guise OF purity and better than
4 thou" assumptions
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