The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-24
THE SURRENDER oF'THE NOMINAL
ING POWER.

{, +,
In tho comparatively uninterestins
Nays before The Times-D Dispatch made
Mr. Robert w. Witherss acquaintance,
Z IL was strongly of opinion that the
nominating power in Virginia should
be vested in the people rather than
+ in delegated proxies. This opinion !.
4gstill5 holds with pristine strength. ~
is not easy to see at this distance,
therefore. precisely what 1t has con
cededr to AFFORD Mr.. Withers any very
liberal supply OF innocent enjoyment
Tho Times Dispatch has, it is true
+ sconcededn that where all candidates
III. primary are opposed by a large
fraction of the voters, no candidate
an that primary is not opposed by a
f large fraction OF the voters. Self-eV,-
dent propositions are always cheerful
Nv conceded by the philosophic. 1t has.
= however, ventured the opinion that
where the sentiment of the State ns
revealed In the primary, is equally d.
yided between A. B and G, the fault.
jf that is fault, Is of the sentiment
aud not OF the primary. tits, absurd
TO criticize nominating system be-
cause it has fairly revealed the divid-
led opinions OF the voters. II suon
division exists, that is precisely what
4 nominating system should do; nor
cen any system require the people to
vote majority If they do not think
"a majority.
inviting our correspondent to con-
slider his own case of a, B and G. each
or whom is opposed, as the direct
ballot showed, by two-thirds Of the
voters, The Times-Dispatch asked him
to show how the convention would
find among them a candidate who was
not opposed by two-thirds OF the
voters. Mr.. Withers replies that, in
such a case, he would choose between
"A. B and G by nominating D, fourth
candidate, who has never submitted
his case to the people, but who, MT.
withers rather oddly assumes. would
be acceptable to the majority of che
voters. In other words, because the
sentiment of the people is sharply IL
+vided, the people should forfeit theil
right to make their own compromises
and sign that right over to q conven-
ton which might easily manage to
disregard their preferences altogether.
Before diminishing subject to which
at has doubtless given all appropriate
prominence, The Times Dispatch will
make one genuine concession to a
correspondent who has so ably ex-
pounded it. Mr.. withers has certainly
evolved convention plan which is
highly ingenious and in many ways
admirable, so far as It's necessary linz
itations make possible Probably no
one could have made out a better ca Sc
for the supplementary convention. Yet
II Mr.. Withers really thought that the
convention was as good nominating
agent as he ,suggests. why would he
not go over tos.it altogether? II 1t
could really give the party "its chosen
David" as he says 1t can, why Would
he bother with the primary at all?
The trouble with the convention. as
Mr.. Withers is well aware, is that il
is not representative, not, in his owr
word, '.cenclusive.'' This argument ap.
plies no less toSa convention as a sup.
plement to a primary than to one as g
substitute for it. and to The Timec.
Dispatch's mind it is decisive Wher
s~released'' delegates can guarantee 9
domination that represents real pop.
ular majority. they may claim to he
wiser and more eftectual than the
people. but not before