The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-04-19
TIsE3 PRIMARY Law!

u
The time for spe culation as whether
Governor Glasseock VIII call an extra
lsession Of the Legislature ii past as he
HAS fixed by an official proc ton
| the date on which the lee fslators viii
be assemble In extraordinary session
for The purpose of passing a primary
election law, and that date Is May 49,
He has not included anything In this
call TO occupy the time of the legisla.
ture except the primary election,
amendments to corrupt practices act,
a kindred subject and the appropria.
tons for the expense of the session.
This brings this long delayed meas.
ure to the center Of the stage and It Is
now q question OF carrying out the pro.
gramme Of the Governor or the repudi.
alton OF the platform pledges Of both
parties. Il 81 Ssii,; 4. ~ n
A goodly primary election law Is bad.
ly needed. The; majority Of the people
want It and while there Will be oppo.
sition from some sections OF the State
still it3is a measure that in the belief
OF most everybody will render the
greatest good to the greatest number
OF our people and will no doubt be
passed unless the special interests
can marshall aforce strong enough to
defeat It. IF 3 q 2; n, Z
While the Governor has had consid.
cradle opposition to his idea Of call.
Ing an extra session he has had the en-.
couragement OF leading citizens from
all sections OF the State including many
prominent Democrats who approve his
course. From present Indications the
programme OF the Governor will be
carried out and the much delayed pri-
mary law Will be pleaced upon our
statute books. # 1i Z. 81
Nominations by ect,Vote!-NoiNew
Y. Thing. !;
The fact Is that the direct primary
Is now the most usual system OF max.
ing nominations in the United States,
and'i in no case has a State, a county or
town turned back. from direct nom.
nations to the convention system. 1t
is no longer an experiment, having
been tried out under varying condi.
tons in so many States that 1t Is pos.
sible to; be guided by experience in
avoiding the danger OF an imperfect di.
rect primary law. s!.fs
Fourteen States. with total popu-
lation of 25,323.039. have mandatory
laws requiring the use OF this plan in
selecting candidates Of the principal
parties for practically all Offices. About
one-half of the States. including those
in which the system has been estab-
lished by party rules. use direct nom.
nations for practically all elective Of.
fees. The States in which the system
is established. by mandatory law far
practically all elective Offices have
about 80 per cent. of the population Of
the United States. .1
"Of the thirty.one United States Sem
ators elected last fall, seventeen were
nominated by direct primaries. Fiji
teen. out of. .thirty:two !! goyernnrst OF
States We're so nominated."-Citizens
UnionsoLNsY. Cityd1s0D. n,ti y
Tsitt|TFFoEnys ferom YectGEPt'maFy'
Nine out oeevepy ten voters OF both
politicalSnarties are for the direct pri::
mary after :tavingntried 1t. regard
the directlprimaryclaweasIthe most i'm
potrant andavalua'ble, law on the stat
ute books. of IKansas;;5 ~.
.s5s 5Hy Wv. R. STUBS, III,
eAi,s pGoysernor; elect Of Kansas. :" :
The law hast worked very well and
there zig not q county oE;the IS in the
State in which proposition to repeal
it.eoqld bs carried -. " = =
Governor Of Mississippi. 4
The primary system for candidates
who stand for something is satisfac-
tory. For candidates who can not
identify themselves with an issue, it is
not But the people like 1t, and once
they secure It,, will not surrender 1t.
% & VICTOR MURDOCH,
Member Of 5Sth. 59th, Goth and 61st
Congress. II.
! am in favor OF the primary election
law. Have been ever since had any,
thing to do with politics.
81, "A. J. McLAURIN,
U. S. Senator from Mississippi.
! believe that direct primary prop.
erfy conducted will leave less sore
ness and cause fewer fractional fights
than the convention system. l believe
the primary has come to stay. q
WIN. B. BORLAND,
!. Member 6lst Congress.
A fair primary law Is long step in
the direction Of truly representative
form Of government. The greatesL
value Of the primary law is the power
1t gives the people to endorse the faith
ful officer and repudiate the fathless.
Under the, old system the man In pub.
lie life was usually able to control the
convention and secure his nomination,
whether he had been faithful or other
wise. to the people. X,
NORRIS BROWN,
U. S. Senator from Nebraska,
1t Is not my experience that direct
primary system of nominations Is more
expensive than the old method.
G. NJ. HITCHCOCK,
Member 5Sth, Goth and 6lst Congress.
The statement that the direct pri-
mary makes campaigning expense and
practically prohibits any but rich men
from entering politics is not true.
III ROBERT C. OWENS,
L t,4StU,, S. Senator from Oklahoma