The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-30
MONDAY, MARCH 80, 1908.
PRIMARIES COME TO STAY.

Judge r. T. w. Duke, a member OF
the Democratic State Committee. and,
until recently, All aspirant for the gov
ernorship. made a poor bid for popu-
lar favor~when, In the meeting Of the
committee Tuesday night, he expressed
his opposition to all primaries. 1t is
reported that good many OF the poll
ticians present applaudcd the senti-
n1ent We seriously doubt whether all
OF these enthusiastic gentlemen would
be 80 bold as to express their opinions
as openly as Judge Duke expressed his
His ~alor was greatly in excess of his
discretion.
ginia have come to stay, and no man
can hope for high Office in the State
who advocates their abolition. The
people have learned that by employ
ing them they can rid themselves Of
the domination of bosses, and the peo-
pie are reluctant to surrender any
power which they have once excr-
cised. The growth OF primaries in all
OF the States OF the Union during the
past ten years has been little short of
marvellous, and we know of no instance
in which any State which has once
employed them has ever gone back
TO the old methods. In Virginia the
struggle was long and painful but
fnally the Democratic party estab-
lished mandatory primaries for the
nomination of United States Senators.
members of Congress. Governor and
all state officers elected by the people.
For members of the Senate and House
of Delegates, as we'll as for county
and city officers in nearly all Of the
oounties and cities of the state, the
nominations are invariably made in the
same ma nner.
Local conventions. mass-me etings.
precinct and ward meetings, with their
attendant tumllt. confusion. packings.
gag rule and jag rule, countings In
d and countings out. with the resulting
fist fights, head -breakings and heart
breAkings. ara in nine-tenths of the
\ STATE. things OF the past. The men,
DRY OF them Is like a nightmare, and
any little band OF gentlemen who may
.sseek to revive them will surely come
I to grief. All grown people in Rich
nnond RENE amber will, sorrow the fraud
z ulent meeting in jackson Ward some
i years ago to select delegates to con-
\ 9ressional convention. when the meth
Il A
the results were repudiated by the
candidate whose friends had planned
the meeting. Democratic ward meet
Eings again for Richmond? Not in this
generation.
1t is true enough that in every
State in which primaries have been
established they have been fought by
! certain machine politicians and corrupt
bosses who had learned to manipulate
the old system with certainty and pre-
4 cision. and to dictate nominations with
i out consulting the masses offthe party.
/ These patriots for profit find that pri-
] maries are exceedingly announcement
/ and In many cases. wholly ungovern-
able. To the same extent. and for
4 the same reason. the people find them
grateful and refreshing and will refuse
I TO give them up.
Il We are sure that our good friend
Judge Duke. does not class himself
nor wish to he classed. among those
who would turn the party government
over to few interruptions politicians
but such turning over would surel.
follow the adoption Of his suggestion
TO abolish primaries.
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