The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-01-10
COST OF PRIMARY.


About the most absurd of the many
untenable arguments that have been
made against a State primary Is that
the cost OF the campaign would be
more than the candidates for Cover
nor could bear. That is matter
for the candidates and not for the
party to determine. In providing a
mode for the nomination OF candidates
the governing authority should give
nrst consideration to the welfare OF
the party. The ambitions or inter
ests Of no man should be superior to
the interests of the organization.
But would the expense Of cam
paign for Governor under the prE
mary plan be more expensive ehan
one made before convention! As
a matter OF fact. ia not the convention
system in the end more expensive 70
the candidates than the primary eleS
ton? Two years ago the Democrats
Of Tennessee nominated candidates
for United States Senator and Gov
ernor. The first nomination was
made in direct primary, where ev'
cry voter had an equal opportunity
with every other voter to record his
choice. The Governor was nominated
by convention.
There is NO reason to believe that
the campaign expenses OF Senator
Taylor and Senator Carmack were any
greater than those Of Mr.. Patterson
and Gov. Cox On the contrary the
history OF the campaign would war
rant the belief that the very opposite
was the case. Patterson opened his
headquarters at the Maxwell House
more than a month before the SeAAI
torial candidates opened theirs. He
launched his campaign at the Ven'
dome theatre nearly two months be-
fore Carmack made the opening
speech OF his contest.
The Gubernatorial campaign did
not close and the headquarters OF the
candidates we're not shut up until al
most a month after the settlement OF
the Senatorial succession Patterson
made almost as many speeches, trav-
eled over the State almost as much
as either of the Senatorial candidates.
His expenses during the convention
must have been enormous There
were hungry delegates to feed, others
had to be provided with the means to
get to Nashville Somebody paid
these expenses,
The last state convention was In
session longer than any OF its pre-
decessors excepting alone the mem
orable body which nominated Bob
Taylor for second term In 1888.
There was an average, OF nearly 1000
delegates in attendance throughout
the sessions of the convention. Ev-
erybody that knows anything about
conventions knows that considera-
bile portion Of these would not have
attended, and IL they had come to
Nashville would not have remained,
Il some one had not provided their
expenses. Every politician knows
that the expenses Of making cam
paign where there is a long dead lock
In the convention is much greater
than where the whole issue is settled
by the people at their homes on one
day.
This is all arguing from the stand
point of the candidate, There is no
argument that it would not be best
for the party to allow its adherents
to make the nomination. The oppo-
nents Of primary have been forced
TO seek a new objection to the plan.
They realize that from party stand
point there is not a single legitimate
argument to be advanced against the
popular plan. hence they have re-
course to the absurd contention that
the candidates cannot afford pri'
mary.
Up to date we have noted the fol-