The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-09
The Ideal Plan.
rinary Elections
BY LEWIS II. MAcnEN.
Advantages.


In view OF tho enormous growth OF
popular sentiment In recent years in
favor of primary elections. it must be
conceded that they present some I'M
portant advantages over the old meth
DDS of making nominations.
One of these advantages is that they
allow larger participation of the
masses OF the party in tho selection Of
candidates than any other method
which has been devised. The earliest
method. consisting of small. secret and
exclusive conferences, was the least
Democratic of all. City and county
mass meetings were considerably more
Democratic and ward and district meet
ings, choosing delegates to a city or
county convention. were still more so:
but both of these systems fell far
| short of allowing anything like a gem
eral participation of tho masses of the
party. For example, ward of a city
or district of county containing n
thousand Democratic voters would not
| have at any ward or district meeting,
under the most favorable circum-
stances. more than 10 per cent. Of that
number. while in a primary election
! it is not unusual for 75 or so per cent.
| of the registered members of a party
| 10 vote.
The reason for this is obvious. The
proceedings in ward and district meet
lings are often irregular and sometimes
! turbulent. They may be held at an
hour announcement to many of the vot-
ers. and may consume more time than
they are willing to spare. The quiet
man of business has a Discrimination
for the hurry -burly. confusion and en-
element Of such meetings. and does
not feel justified in giving up several
hours of his time and taking part In a
meeting where antagonisms may be
engendered for the purpose Of having
a share in making the nominations.
Moreover, he learns that skilful poll
! ticans. by assembling their partisans
may pack such meeting. and may. by
noise and buster and by the rulings
of a presiding officer, selected for thai
], purpose, control tho meeting against
the wishes even Of the majority OF
those present, and very much agains
the wishes of n majority OF the party
In the territory supposed to be repre-
J sented. The primary election, general
lily lasting throughout the day, presents
an opportunity for the busy man in :
j short time and in an orderly manner
to have his preference recorded ant
certified. Therefore, the average citi
zen finds that he can take part in thu
selection OF candidates in primary
more conveniently and effectively thai
in any kind of meeting.
The ward and district meetings i'm
pose double burden upon those Sc
lected as delegates to the city ono
county conventions, because they usu
. ally find it necessary to attend boil
! the meetings and the convention
!, Where the city and county convention
send delegates to district or Stat
convention tho burden is threefold II
| both time and expense.
Another advantage of primary !
that each voter is certain Of having
his proper Influence in the selection
OF candidates, unless there Is fraud J
E the election. A man who has made Y
I l.ss mind to do certain thing can q
1t himself better than through repre
q sentative. 1t has many times hap
: lpened that delegates selected for on
0 man have been won over to another
Y Bargains. swaps and deals OF ever
!. kind may be made II, q convention
and candidates may be nominated Wit
$ little or no reference to their merits