The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-02-04

\ There are three primary election 4
bills pendingtin the legislatures, one
being the. Cooper bill of the last regI
ular session; another bill, Of which,
u. Taylor ..Vinson is the author and
third, offered lby Senator Hataeld.
The first two measures go toI%ythe
limit on the general primary seheme,
while the Hatfield proposition IS In
the nature of a COMPROMISING between
the two. TT makes the magfsteriaI
d{strfcts the unit. 1t requires all
party conventions to be held be-
tween April Is and June Is next
preceding state elections. 1t pro-
Vides for tie selection OF committee,
sipulates their tenure Of Office, and
requires thenf3to take an oath to
support the constitution of the Unit.
ted: States end the State OF West Vfr-
ginia, and included in this oath, an
avermentS Of: THE party to which
they claim membership. Other strin-
gent 'iregnlations and penalties are
laid down stotdefeat fraud and cor
ruption,@ andssintended to safeguard
the integrity OF nominations by the
POLITICAL parties, and defend the pur-
j-iSy and honesty of party manage.
meht. Thetprovisions of the Cooper
bill are by. now pretty we'll known
to the public. The Vinsons bill diff
fers from it Only in minor "details
Both provide:tcfor an expression Of
choice on.aeyery candidate from Uni
ted States senator to constable and
also candidates for selection as com
|Hnitteemen. There is no settled SEN
timent on What kind Of a primary
election law should be passed. The
fact is that opinion on that question
is very much unsettled and decided
ly chaotic, solEfnuch so in fact that
there is more than good reason to-
believe thatssthese conflicting views
age Of suchtRS law. Once more we
will not lend themselves easily to
The process of charm ization, and
that the ,fort1aAve days Of the. ses- !,
sion will beSpassed with before any
thing along this line can be accom-.
pAished. And: yet, the dominant
saarty's7 PLATFORM calls for the pass 4
are. remtnded shat many. a party plat
form promises things that are abso-
?.lutely impossible Of ful6llment : -.
\ "a.
49, g.. - ~ ---A.z--~- s., ~ o.. 49,. -,
Which bsshaa Us go reference, to "a
1flmor as itsw shesHbn. ~ Taylor VIM.
son ardorf In getting. sweeping
primary election law on the statute +:
books. 1t is the ,alienable license OF
the quidnuncs Of politics to attrib-
ute a 'peps onal motive whenever they i
Sure, incAnadSso to do. In the case Of
aaf.S Wilson'S anxious pressing Of his
primary election bill, they seem bent
thus >fMr.. 2Vtnsons would United
States senateward co. according to
these gambling gossips, and the
way round. 1t is,>the Vinson idea,
and on it I grant him no monopoly,
that it is the height OF FOLLY for any !
body beneath the dignity Of coup
le-of mes-millionaire to attempt to
get to the big senate over at Wash
ington by way of the legislature
There being absolutely no chance +
whatever for a wel1-to-do man with |
mountain Of ability like this VIM
son person to take the legislative
route, there may be a chance for a
If the voice Of the people could ex-
press itself To provide a method |
for that expression is the purpose Of |
the Vinson primary election law |
chiefly, as it is the aim, of the Coo
per bill, for that matter, with such |
a law, Vinson and other brainy, poor |
men Of the state, who would like to |
attain the ambition Of seat In the |
national senate. could take to the
hustings and make direct appeal to
the sovereign people. The Wilson's
are at home on the hustings. They |
can talk like a house 'afire, and
show off their line Of talent samples
to the people to the best advantage. |
This would give Hubbard chance, |
too, and Jodie Gaines, who can talk |
like phonograph record, only more |
entertainingly and magnetically. 1t
would handicap Isaac T. Mann some, |
because Ike is not strong for the Or
atorical hurdles, though he is there |
with the bundle big enough to choke |
rhinoceros to death. 'Spect he |
would prefer to let the, Legislature |
route remain the popular track to |
take to the big marble pile at the far |
end Of Pennsylvania avenue. But |
the United States senate fs what Vim
son is aiming at say the Grand1Aoth |
err Tipseytoes Of politics in conclave !
here, and that is the reason why he
is so deeply Interested in getting
primary election bill that just suits
him made into a law SO, we'll let
it go at that.
-
Senator +. +. Kidd, has been leg
ic1ofor % voors 1raf In tho \ oueo