The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-09
Voice 81 the p eople.
,rn~ Can vcnt,on ana The primary.

81. : -----.
The Convc ntion ana the Primary.
Editor OF Tie Tines.D ispatch:
sir--Your editorial. "A Primary
Convention Combination Plan" In
Sundays isstc seems TO require OF me
some further xplannt II on OF one or two 4
features of tho suggested scheme.
Il You ask: "What Is the real objection
to referring tic matter again to the
people In a second primary, which
shall be held Immediately after the
first ono, without q dollar spent for
further ainpaignfng between them. ard
to which only the two highest candt-
dates shall be eligIble7"
second day state primary could
not be held until sufficient time had
elapsed after the first to allow the re-
suit thereof to be canvassed and dis
scminated throughout the Common-
wealth to its most remote and accluded
precincts. This means ut least two
weeks II things went Einoottly, and
possibly three. four or five weeks II
there were determined contests In
any event, the heightened interest
caused BY narrowing the Held could BIO
relied on to increase rather than susL
pend the activities and expenses OF tho
remaining candidates. The expense OF
:
an additional restriction upon the poor
candidate. Already the expense to cam
didates for a one-dny primary has be-
come 80 great that the Democratic
party passed resolutions looking to
Some relief Many people seem to be-
licve that IL the State pays the cost
of the primary ali objection on this
sons which cannot now hes.given, the
"Iegallzcd primary" is not the simple
solution and unrnfxnd blessing that its
advocates seem to think. Aside from
Its expense ind its possibilities for
trickery and combinations. n second
day primary may be extremely unjust
to some OF the candidates. Suppose
there are five candidates for Cover
nor * receives 5000 votes. b 1901.
G 15.002. ID 1908 and Il i5.00l. Is 1t
Just to B and G TO be frozen ont Of
the second-day primary when an in
flnttesimal fraction OF AS vote would
make either have as many or moro
votes than either D or T.? II there
were more than three candidates II
would require n third or fourth or even
a fifth.day primary to determine who
N fact would receive a majority OF
the votes OF the people. This Is i'm
practicable.
From what has Just been said you
+
OF your queries-when you ask why
this plan allows n candidate who has
been dropped by the convention on one
/. roll.call to be put back In nomination
: In the next ballot but one. Suppose
tho primary resulted as above indY-
Gated. Now transfer all further ballot
Ing to delegates or agents OF the peo-
pie IN convention assembled. A would
be, dropped In the second ballot. and
his strength may go to 3. G and . In
such proportion that on the third ball.
lot p would be dropped. Now ELS sup
porters may. as a second choice. favor
A. and SO might the supporters OF p.
G and D. 50 that In the end a. who
had tho fewest first choice votes. may
become the nominee, because he is least
Objectionable or because of party har-
mony or thousand other reasons
which play important parts in practical
4 politics.
Just here let me empha size the inn
| portance OF requiring a majority OF
the votes of the people or of their dele
gates to name the party's candidates.
\ and OF giving the people or their dele
gates some real choice In the selection
or the party's nominee. One OF the
| greatest weaknesses of the primary
plan is that the party or the people
have no power to choose a candidate
between self-appointed candidates 1t
may be true that none OF the well-to-
l do. self-appointed candidates who
Canvass the State with no platforms,
Wanting themselves in aelf-aggran-
dizement and Safeguarding by sug-
geslion and innucndo the personal
characters OF their Democratic oppon-
ents. is the real choice of Virginia
i Democracy. Yet. under our present
t01a hc al n Ia IS r m DC n
by bare plurality. Under the plan
suggested should such contingency
arise the convention. having dropped
4 each candidate once and thus demon
strated that none of the candidates is
Il acceptable to a majority of the people,
E is given power to repudiate the whole
field and select for itself candidate
a who can lead the party TO victory
4 While such contingency is seem-
q ingly remote In Eastern Virginia,
where the party's majority makes 1t
Il careless in its choice OF candidates, 1t
not only may occur. but has occurred
In Southwest Virginia. where strong
candidate. one who can receive the
united vote OF the party. Is required to
meet the party's enemy.
am glad to know that The Times
Dispatch agrees with me that there
are other functions to be performed
II Dy ~ party LUhU Tie tCilOlSG VI ECdtIul>
dates. To me this Is the inherent
weakness Of our present primary
plan-we have no organization to fight
battles nor TO elect our candidates
after they are chosen in the primary
This is the only sense" I tried to
! knock into the head Of The Tines-
!. Dispatch. While you may nos know
. OF any imove.'to take these (eXecuttve)
, duties from the party convention or to
! abolish that institution altogether as
Z superfluous," nevertheless, by reason
!, Of our present primary plan, which
has an eye single to the choice OF can
I didates, the convention has, In the
: language OF our recently departed
Header. fallen into "innocuous desuc.
, tude." never to be revived until the
i convention Is made compulsory and
] Its delegates given some voice In the
2 choice OF candidates. Except in the
8 Ninth District. where, for reasons
. herein pointed out, the primary plar
!, has been nullified. there has not beer
y Il district or State convention held Ii
, Virginia for the purpose Of building
? MIA rrp ipr ms CbI y,o fo,