Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-05-19

PRESENT PRIMARY PLAN
BUil0S OFFICE TRUST
This Is Charged BY Judge Duke
Says impossible For 10 Stand
For Office.

l Oh rfAudy hiSut itNNiNSu oN'N'N
castigation.
| Judge Duke declared that the sys-
TEN had resulted In building up all
Office trust in the State of Virginia,
! that il was entrenched and that II
was impossible for poor man TO
stand for any Office within the gift
of the people.
| Senator Shackelford declared that
the scheme had been devised for
| specific purpose and that it had sig
nally failed to accomplish what was
intended, the objects of the system
apparently thriving under ~.
| The members of Congress from this
State are believed to be a unit for
| the system, said a member of the
committee, as it practically precludes
any person from considering the mat
ter OF running against them.
| People Tired Of the Scheme.
People throughout the State are
disguised with the system, said a
gentleman who has been in much o:
the state during the last three months
and who is in close touch with one
of the candidates for an Office at the
hands of the people. The gentleman
continued:
Il have never seen such ? change
in sentiment over matter as there
has been during the last year. The
primary system in itself is not so
| bad, provided that there was some
means whereby the enormous expense
of lone and tiresome campaign could
be obviated. That cannot be done
! The candidates are kept on the jump
| from early in March to the date for
| the primary. which can never be earl
| Ter than august. The expression OF
| opinion is all right, but the people OF
the State are ranking under the idea
that the party is being managed by
| the Office trust under the primary
plan, that there are no conventions
| and no expression or declarations o.
principles ty the people of the State"
Delegates to Convention.
The idea which appears to be to
| the liking of a majority or the peo-
tple at this time is to have primary
election or an election of delegates
| to State convention in every pre-
cinct at the same time. Let the dele
gates announce for whom they stand
| if they desire to do so, but elect the
| delegates by vote at the Daiiot box
After this is done, allow the dele
| gates to get to a conventional State
convention-and there declare the
| principles of the party, define the Is
sues and compel the candidate to
stand on the platform made by the
people of the State, instead or having
| the candidates get up and declare
what are the issues, thus compelling
| the people of the State to accept
| whatever they decide to be :ne issues
Nc More State Primary.
Nothing c.n be done in. the mat
| ter till the State convention OF 1917
Is held, at which time siie whole sub
| ject is TO come up for considerations
| That the voters of the State will de-
clare against the method now i'll
vogue there is no doubt, and theT
will retain control of the system by
electing delegates to State Con-
vention. That will nave 20 be done
by going to the ballot box and voting
for the delegates direct
In the opinion of those who are
giving attention TO the matter. the de-
egates TO the State convention should
be elected early in May. the State
convention TO be held in June"
Break Up Office Trust.
The idea that there is an office trust
which is declared to exist ly many
gentlemen who are at this time not
holding any Office and many of whom
we're champions of the primary when
it was first suggested, is finding echo
in the expressions of many OF the
individual voters-men who do not
and never expect to hold ofdce- Tnat
the convention would see TO 1t that
the candidates are not ali allowed 10
come from any enc section, as "
possible under the primary system.
but that each section would receive
recognition is the beiieI of the poll
ticians who have always inveighed
against the primary, and there are
great many persons who have al
WAYS stood out against the existing
method
One of the strongest objections
urged against the present primary Is
that there Is no chance for an ex-
preston of principles except once in
four years-and that ia one year
nrior to the state election, when the
situation may demand a clear state
ment on entirely new propositions
The further idea advanced is a pos
sibility that the poor men OF the
State might appeal to the delegates
and not be forced to campaign until
after he got the nomination. when ne
would know just what he would have
to do.
The nomination. it is then declared,
would no; belong to any man. ana az
the same time the people world come
very near to naming the candidate by
its privilege Of voting for the dele
gates TO the state convention. II IS
declared that It would cost less than
: ~ ~ a. -rn1cnl Iarin for q