The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-27
Primary OF Convention.


1.-THE esteemed Richmond VIrglman
-s.44t4 the Register are in accord IN s'ie---
costing that the primary and anti
primary elements of the Virginia De-
mocracy submit to vote of the party
masses in a special primary the ques-
ton, Shall the Democratic party make
its nominations for Office by primary
or otherwise The Norfolk Landmark,
which is an unyielding primary advo-
cate vet severe critic of the existing
party plan, has not been heard from on
this subject, but its neighhor, the Vir-
ginian-Pilot. in an editorial Friday
morning comments on The Registers
suggestion and partially agrees with
uS.
Our Norfolk contemporary favors
the primary to determine finally and
decsivcly the preferable plan of max
ing nomination, but proviso that in
such primary the element favoring
retention Of the primary nominating
principle be given equal representation
among the judges at the various pre-
cinets with the opposition view. Its see
ond proyiso is that The competing
proposition (primary or eonvention)
should be submitted in form cover
ing all the points at issue; that is, which
obligate the State Committee, should
the majority perpetuate the primary,
to carry out the verdict in good faith
BY throwing around the elections to
be held under it all the safeguards that
fairness demands. -
4 Tho hos cipon hnov baarJ FrOY
/ says
The chief complaint about the pres
ent primary plan is that it is lnlegal-
lied, and therefore unfair because it
does not protect the voter where he
needs protection most. A State Dem
oeratie convention established the
primary the party method of nomi-
nation, and later State Democratic
Convention (the last one held Endorsed
the primary principle, but declared for
its iegalization at the first opportunity.
Now the Danyille Register. which
upholds the organization of its dis
frict in following the lead OF the Ninth
District and substituting Congresson-
al convention for Congressional
primary, in defiance of the party law
OF the State, suggests TO the advocates
of the primary to quit wrangling over
it and trying to disrupt the party or
ganization
And the same contemporary gen.
erously proposes that an unlegalzed
primary be held to see whether or not
the declaration of the State Convention
in favor of legalized primary shall
be obeyed This brilliant idea pro-
ceeds from the source admittedly op-
posed to the primary method of nomi-
nation. The advocates Of the right
sort of primary would be lunatics to
submit the fate of the right sort of
: primary TO the wrong sort of primary
No sane man willingly takes his case
before judge in whom he has no con-
fidence
Our neighbor, the Firginian-Pilot,
neatly turns the question back on the
Register by asking how it comes that
so valiant an opponent of the primary
method is crying aloud for primary
to escape the results of convention
rulings. If the Register thinks the
primary a higher party tribunal than
the convention, why oppose the pri-
Y mary method of nomination. We fear
the Register is in favor of the good old
rule Heads, win; tails, you lose -
I The virginian is committed to the genera
imposition ito let the voters in the Democrat
'artv determine whether or not the primar
lection plan shall be continued We ar
eartlv tired of the present situation. The pr
parry is opposed by large element in the part
nd of late ii was laid aside in two of the Cor
districts, in open defiance of part,
wv. The General Assembly, although compose,
a large part OF Democrats, refused to legaliz
he primary in response to request of tn
Kate convention and the entire system, excep