The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-31

iIHI
sslsSt'on q sssrs y Plsl11y tss
vide tho proper inachinery Of govern
t. gye f % ts
,didnfes The selection Of candidates
being necessary part Of the process
I2f electlng the officers OF government,
provide tho method and pay. the OK.
penges OF the nlme Just as 1t docs In
elections
There seems TO be no valid reason
II plra ffSna ela prasy have proven sat
istactory. and there appears to be no
nations will not be equally SO. The
tons nre--firat, that the nomination
was the result Of the direct act OF thal
voters themselyes; recond. that their
votes were fairly cast and honestly
The voter, upon whom the duty Of
n,o y, and eiecting officers rests,
shGu dun Under no
should appoint some one to act In HIS
stead.
Even granting that the nomination
With the choice u the majority ot
advisable because in conflict with the
liz voter I,nseif aees unaer w'eh
Mr.. Withcrs seems to fail to dis
tnguiah the essential differences be-
tween party government r,a ,r and ,makin.s
purely n matter OF party convention.
and the party may do almost anything
| II pleascs within the bounds Of reason.
but the nomination OF candidates in
the voter, and the party has no mora:
right to adopt any method which Will
cause the voter TO violate this duty
|i Fl ,nPa'r his ability to perform It
Again. Mr.. withers seems unfortu-.
nate IN his conception OF what con-
stitutes n party. A party consists OF
Gays, I'm the absence OF n convention
and under tho primary system. which
n,GWs any nsrtv Mbappe
support Is so safely. relied upon for
election has absolutely no voice in tho
choice of candidates" II the voters
tse party naty ef" What az /.
laborr under the impression that tho
fcw servants OF the party who hold
| bined with the limited number who are
sent to conventions, form the party.
and they arc they to whom Difference
i from NIL the rest Is due.
/ Surely my friend would not narrow
1.-THE lines of his democracy to this de-
I gree!
The convention is party council
/ In which party policies and party gov
4 eminent are conHidered. and thiS con-
! vention by majority vote may Inn
/ pose upon all who are members OF
/ the party such declaration OF prin-
1 ciples and method OF party manage
j mont as 1t may choose. provided that
/ they do not conflict with the law of
i the land.
!. The convention should exist because
| It Ia the most practicable way by which
1 party agreement may be reached upon.
] matters OF principle and policy. Tho
i participation by ali in these delibera-
! tions is in,practIcable. therefore 1t
i should be done by delegated authority:
X but the matter Of nomination involves
I moro than party duty: 1t Is part
OF the process OF performing an ohi-
/ cinI act by the voter who acts In a
! Representative capacity. He holds thia
| power under the Same Constitution
I which bestows Legislative power upon
/ those elected to the legislative depart
/ rnent OF government, and there rests
/ no moro power to delegate this repre-
j senta tive duty In the one case than In
1.-THE other.
4 II believe that the party would be
lbenefited by holding State conyen-
i tton every two years. before the cleo
i ton OF members OF the House of Del
4 egates, as the candidates would then
Il he bound by the party declaration. ana
i there would be greater uniformity and
force In party action.
4 Lynchburg. va.s July "a, 1908.