The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-14

TUESDAY,, EJUL1. LII 1SVo. %
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THE PRIMARY WITH FIVE CANDI-
DATES.
ITO show the inadvisability of n sec
ond-day primary which shall be open
only to the two candidates who Sc
cured the highest plurality vote in
the first balloting. Mr. Robert w.
tiWithers invites us to consider the
following case:
Suppose five self-appointed candi-
dates for Governor; suppose 1t is we'll
known that A entertains extreme
views for total prohibition; that is
h an extremist for the liquor trade and
that c, D and E represent the conser-
s ,vstive middle ground on this liquor
question. Now, suppose in the, pri-
8 IInary that fraction over one-fifth
"A or the votes is cast for a, and a frac-
tion over one-fifth of the votes Is cast
X for B, and that a fraction under three
fifths Of the votes is equally divided,
Ior personal or other reasons. between
&c, D and Z. Would not the second
day primary as suggested by you COM
pei the Democratic party to nominate
as its candidate either, a rank pro-
= against the will of nearly four-fifths
tof the Democratic party?
81. Suppose an election for Governor in
a some doubtful" State where old party
lines have become partly obscured, and
a where some burning local issue, say
q prohibition, is strong enough to wipe
4 ont differences between Republicans
and Democrats. Suppose that the Re-
rublicans put up an extreme liquor
Z man, the Democrats put up a strong
anti-saloonist and the prohibitionists,
not satisfied with either man, bring
forward an independent candidate of
+ their own. Suppose that the Repub-
2 licau candidate gets $1,000 votes. The
d Democratic candidate gets 50,001 votes
and the prohibitionist candidate gets
so, 600 votes. Would not such an cleo
ton compel the voters of that State
to accept a Governor who was en-
phatically not desired by large
majority of them? Yet, would there
be any appeal from such an election,
or could anybody claim that it was
unfair or unjust? {.
To our correspondents question
above we give an unequivocal affirma-
tive. In the illustration which he cites
the primary would certainly compel
the voters to choose between two
men. each of whom is opposed by four
II fifths of them. Yet, why harry and
distress the imagination with so
% 49,
danger which our correspondent sum
mons would be anticipated by every
voter Intelligent enough to use the
ballot Self-candidature doubtless has
Ii its drawbacks; but we submit that a
man does not ordinarily "come out"
who has not been assured of the sup
port of a considerable section of the
voters. Is it reasonable to suppose
that tho conservative clement, here
largely in predominance, would for one
moment colssnt to see it's strength
shopelesslp split When its control was
sthreatened by Strong candidates rep
resenting the extreme sentiment in
Neither direction? If 1t committed
sisuch folly it would, from the stand-
point of political tactics, fully deserve
la stinging and salutary defeat.
Practically. our correspondence hy-
pothetical case appears negligible. AS
we suggested before, the conceivable
4 iNagaries Of tho hundredth primary
should not be permitted to stand as a
stumbling block in the path of pro-
visions for the other ninety and nine.
Theoretically, his point is, Of course
perfectly well taken. He is far less
felicitous, 1t seems to us. In invoking
the menace of Republican victory. II
U with no little surprise that we find
him asking:
stt'What think you would be tho eff
S 2ect upon the Democratic party to
oppose this Republican candidate anC
his organization with A or B as the
democratic nominee. backed up only
by the votes of a little more thar
one-fifth of his party. an extremist
n tnsviews, with no organization to SUP.
port him and with u large part Of
is the remaining four-tifths OF the Demo
Gratis who voted In the primary either
ss actively opposing him or declining Il
Eo to the polis?"
Does Mr.. Withers seriously asser
that four-flfths OF the Democrat,
voters IN this State, having pledged
themselves 10 support the nominee O
488 the primary in which they participate
ed would diahonorably break tina
pledge in the manner which he sug
Eests:
4