The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-06
THURSDAY, JANUARY 6. 1910.
/. cun1ous PRIMARY BILL.

fred by the official subcommittee of
he Democratic party may appear as
ear nothing as it could be in obedi-
ice to the instructions of the party
invention. While the primary laws
other States occupy many pages in
lie statute books, this syncopated
opposition fits nicely into little more
han half column of newspaper We
opear to have here, not so much a
Z -imary law as the ghost OF Jaw, the
srfunctory. colorless, skeletonized
issn,nant and Renaissance of law.
Tut when we come to scrutini2e the
Paragraphs more closely, we discover
topping through the dry shell two
DIVISIONS of uncommon liveliness and
sniticance.
{ One of them is found in section ,.
he Byrd bill provides, among other
scel1ent safeguards, that all prima-
es shall be conducted by the judges
s election appointed according to
W. 1t is important to note this
SHfrefully. Under the law the circuit
i'd corporation courts appoint the
J. ectoral boards and the boards APP
lint the judges of election. More
fer. the law requires that the minori-
party must be given representation
nong the judges, thus absolutely
laranteeing non-partisanship and
3ir play. These are the election Off
rs which would conduct all primaries
der the Byrd bill. Under the singu-
provision of the State Committees
IL. the officers who conduct all pri-
aries are appointed, not by the courts
rough the electoral boards. but by
he local committees of the party
,Iding such primary election This
cans simply that whoever controlled
! I'D dominated the local committees
I ould control and dominate the ap
ointment of the primary election
ieers-
Is needless to expatiate on such ;
DIVISION The Democratic voters hav,
ked for direct primary on til,
.onnd that it would minimize thu
disability of machine control, AM
icy have demanded law which
could give the primary all the safe
lizards now thrown about elections
they consider that this is an an
yer to their demands, they can tax
and be thankful.
i The other provision in this bi!
Ehich early arrests the eye is foun,
j. section 3. OF the mystifying Ian
rage and curious contradictions con
4 lined in this section---the comman
at parties deslsipg a, nominating
invention must. cSaose 'the delegate
a primary being Immediately fol
wed with the assurance that parties
sed not do anything Of the sort un.
SIS they like-we Shall not speak
NY. At the moment we are peculiarl,
ruck with the provision that til,
ate Executive Committee of an,
-rty may decide whether State nomi-
ttions lin any given case shall be
ade by direct primary or by noni-
tting conventions" The Democratic
ut in convention has formally dcci,l.
that State nominations shall! be in
1 ssssery case by: direct primary For
Il hat reason does the committee the
ass s,eature and agent of the convention.
oppose to give itself the legal power
ss Ignore and reverse this decision?
ssF WILL OF course, be said that no State
1mmittee would dare TO disobey the
andate of its party. What then is
purpose OF deliberately authorizing
10 DO SO on the statute books:
early this provision must look ex,
ssctantly forward to time when III,
snlocratic party's specific declaration
MSS favor of the primary no longe
y Ids. II must anticipate a day whei
her forms OF State nominations vii
s permitted and authorized. W
low nothing, and pretend TO knoy
ii 8ithing, of the motives Of the subcom
Il lttee of the state Committee in fran
A. this peculiar section. But no on
Hsn examine ii without perceiving tina
perfectly payes the Way for a re
ogression from the direct primary /
Il delegated primary, and from tn
Elegated primary to the old-fashione
invention. Is this what the Demo
atic voters desire, on is II the re
rise Of their desire?
ss Chairman Ellyson was quoted III
her day as saying that the reaso,
committee had deferred action o.
sl q primary 80 long was thai 1t do
to have the benefit OF all lii
3test thought on the subject. Ate
4 saInining The committees offering
find thts remark hard to under
end, We discover nothing in thl
u. SO brief yet 80 full Of uneSpecte
terest. that the committee could nc
4 & q INC framed as well last summer o
summer before--st any time, i
\; 4, when il was ready 10 meet an
sss e a few hours TO the subject, A
s asst, the eomnittee's' conhdence in II
Y u 81 aility to frame q primary law so car
n, at the last moment now seem