Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-08-21

Chrleston, w. Va Aug. 21.--
The Democratic platform demands
the enactment OF state primary
law that will provide for the nom.
inatton OF all candidate for office
at elections held under the protec-
tion of such law. And thereby
hangs very considerable tale.
The Republicans had been for sew
eral years promising to enact such
n law, and when the legislature met
in the winter of 1907 Delegate Coop
er OF Wood county took from his
pocket carefully prepared bill.
embodying the provisions necessary
to carry out the promise. At first
IL looked IA II the bill would pass
with very little opposition: but the
opposition grew stronger as time
went on. and IL was finally defeated.
The opponents OF the bill made their
fight against II on the ground that
IL would turn the counties of the
black belt over to negro domination
Evans, OF Mingo, Strother OF Nc
Dowell. the delegates from Mercer.
Raleigh and Fayette. and some of
those from Kanawha declared that
the enactment OF such law would
enable the negroes in those counties
to nominate members os their own
race for the various offices and that
from the date of its passage none
of the present members would ever
again be seen In the legislature. In
other words, they could heat the
negro In convention and In spite oil
the fact that the negro voters had
the majority in the Republican par.
~ In most OF these counties. could
name white candidates for the of.
fces. But with a primary, where n
negro vote would count as much as
white vote this could be done. and
the negroes would nominate the can
dldates as wei as elect the officers
Now this means that. while these
gentlemen are willing to have a ne
gro vote In the general election. and
help to elect officers against the will
OF the majority of the white people
or the state. they were unwilling for
him to have a voice in the choosing
of candidates in his own~~party.
These same gentlemen are opposed
to disfranchisng the negro at the
election, but they keep him disfran.
chised In their own party councils.
The Democrats believe a man
who Is not fit to have share In
naming his party ticket is not ht tC
have share N electing that ticket
For that reason they believe the
ballot should be taken away from
the negro. The Republicans also be
lieve the same th.nge. but have
not the honesty to say so.
The Democratic platform strilket
out fro mthe shoulder on the ques
tion OF an employers liability law
The labor organizations have been
trying for several years to secure
the passage OF such a law-one that
would be just and equitable to both
employer and employe, but have not
been able TO get the Republican leg
islatures to do anything along that
line. For several sessions commit
tees and attorneys have been kept
here at considerable expense to the
labor organizations, but aways with
the same result-nothing doing. One
winter Frank Nesbit OF Wheeling,
now circuit Judge was in Charleston
during the entire legislative session,
striving to get something done to
relieve the present situation with
out avail The bill was either ney-
er reported from the senate commit
tee, or else was held so long that
when It was reported there was not
time enough left in which to get
consideration for II. If the labor
ing men who were here working for
the passage OF that measure. and
those who were working at home to
Garry on the work here. had known
how to get at the thing properly
they might have turned the trick.
The big board bills Of the men who