The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-03
State Press on the
Byrd Primary Bill

4. otate Press on the
4 Byrd Primary, Bill
Drastic. Radical. Revolutionary
\ It is scarcely worth while 10 seriouslv
consider the Byrd measure save iron,
academic standpoint For. in our judgment.
/ rs Shanse for passage is altogether and
!, hopelcsslS remote 1t is drastic radical.
revolutionary. and based upon an indcfensl
4 ply arbitrary doctrine. So much So indeed.
IS this the case, that If the author OF tho
! measure had deliberately set 10 work 10
threpare measure with Wow of defeat ting
instead OF promoting iegaized primary hs
rouiu scarcely have worked 10 better our
p9sc. me vital defect in the bill is it's com
puisorS icaturc--its utter lack OF flexiblity.
ana the serious Impairment ii involves. OF
party option In theScontro! OF its own ~.
! iairs --Lynchburg News.
Foundation for Solution.
When all the complications incident To a
primary bill are considered. il VIII be seen
LA u becomes necessary to get out OF tho
, Usual channels Of legislation. A bill which
!ssanzcs the primary must necessa rily be
radical otherwise IL would not lcGalise in
p i, On the whole. the proposed
. DiI lays the foundation for practical sol,,.
.ioh OF The lcgaliGed primary. 1t lis payinf.
me way TO the attainment of a most urgent
uemahd, and would indicate that the com.
ing Legislature will deaf with the PROPOSE.
it-NOanOkC
Good, II II VIII Prevent Manipulation.
we are not ready to give support to ali
the provisions set forth in his tentative bili
put we DO think the material is there out
of which Legislature sincerelv bent IN ~
acting an effective law to give expressio,
TO the popular Will in primary elections
should be able TO construct a system SAFE
GUARDED against abuse or inaiadmnistration
SO lar as written regulation can effcctuatel
I mat purpose Whatever may be tho
outcome, afterthc legislative Mill shall have
put Mr.. Byrds ugsestiona through the
ssihalns process, we shall not have the dis
positionF 10 be supercrltical II the main OBJ
lect OF our long contention shall be sub.
s.anliaiiy erected: the placing of tho prt-
| ntal! poils under adequate protection
| responsible conductors.-Nortok Virsinian.
Pilot
Removes Many Obstacles.
we can readily understand how protcs-
sional politicians would tight It, but ii is
such an advance on the present law that il
| should receive the cncoura cement of every
Sirsinian who believes that this country
best remedy for tho evils Of democracy 4,
more democracy" Tho proposed bill re-
moves many obstacles in the way of direct
controi OF nominations. and also removes
many OF the means OF corruption used in
elections. Tho Journal approves of thns
OH as Whole but ventures to express the
nope tnat II VIII be supplemented by pure
election law that will wipe out the crowd
OF "foaters" found in every section OF fthc
state. and whom politicians will still be abb.
TO vote should Speaker Byrds bill become a
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Journal
May BE as Good as Any
On this limited and imperfect oSamina
ton we are not prepared to approve or dis.
approve the proposed measure. \. we are
TO have compulsory and legalized pri-
system IA tbo
and wisdom OF which we question. Speaker
Byrds bill may be as good as any. perhap s
pelter. We have great confidence in Mr..
Byrd's ability and judgment as a LAWYER
and as legislator. bur. as an abstract
proposition. it seems 10 US that government
exceeds It's functions when 1t intcrfercs WITH
inc rights of parties TO make nominations
for Office in any way that suits their inter-
csts and Misunderstanding Index appeal.
Is n Great Improvement.
Mr.. Byrd'a primary bill, though not alto.
gether free from faults, Is a great Improve
ment over tho present unprotected system
and 1t is to be hoped that 1t Will got
through the Legislature during the present
session without too many changes. There is
little room for fear OF opposition on tho
part OF real friends of tho primary. They
are anxious to SEQ tho system improved
knowing that defects in the plan In havo
made possible the survival OF minority sen
tlment in favor Of returning to the old CON
vention and mass-mecting method OF nomi-
mating candidates for office. II is the false
friends of the primary that arc to be fear
ed,-Newport News Press.
Will Not Remove Objections 10 Primary.
These provisions, while they Will some
what mitigate the objections 10 tho primary
to that degree which will mako the primary
acceptable to the people as a whole or even
to majority Of the voters OF the State
OF course. tho bill still has to run the
lntr 4 .p{ "a inv,
doubt whether 1t will be passed in as &C.
ceptablc form as IL is now prepared.-
fredericksburg Free Lance.
IL Fair and Progressive.
We can find no very serious fault with
any OF these propositions. Surely they are
fair and. in line with progressive IDEAS. The
primary as means OF selecting candidates
for office has conc to stay, and 1t is there
fore the duty of the peopleslo make II lust
as representative as 1t can be made. 1t
ought not to- be so expensive that a man
OF moderate means could not 30 free to
offer himself for public office. AS it stands
this is the case. Under tho Byrd law. so
lar. as we can gather from what has been
announced Of JIG scope the humblest man
of merit would have an equal chance with
the most ambitious and weathiest OF his
fellow Observation-Disclosures star,
Should Make Primary Optional.
We like Mr. Byrd's primary election ,n
practically. every feature of It, 1t is none
too drastic forsus.54We are perfectly willing
that this system Of nominating candidates
shall be made obiisatory upon all political
parties We are perfectly willing that the
expense OF holding primary elections shall
be borne by tho taxpayers, we have always
commended, for that provision We arc per-
fcctly wiling that newspapers shall be madn
TO label all their political advertisements.
we do not believe in sailing under false 3co-
ors. We are perfectly willing that cand-
dates should be Limited in The amount Of
10 on rirp n lt,,rn s,,f
while. VIC like the Byrd bill, Wn think that
1T treads upon dangerous ground when 4 Z
Undertakes to make the primary election
method of choosing candidates legally
obligatory upon political parties without op-
ton II the .Legisatnre may properiy enact
such aslaw. 1t may With euual Spropriety
the privilege OF employing the primary plan
land compel them by law to adopt tho con