The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-05-12
FURTHER CONSIDERATION on THE PRi
MARY QUESTION.


Newport News Ttgies-Heruld discusses in an
and entertaining fashion the re-
cent suggestion of The Richmond F,rgintoa
that another meeting of the State Democratic
Executive Committee be held to go further into
the question of keeping Republicans out of the
forthcoming Democratic primary The Times
Herald says:
Commenting Oh suggestion from The Rich
BeHd Ftrgtnidn that the Democratic State
Committee be called together again to consider
the question of allowing Republicans TO vote in
the senatorial primary, the LgnchbHrp Meas
says;
Our contemporaries suggestion is both sen
sible and clearly In line with the best interest
of the Virginia Democracy, But its chance OF
adoption is about as remote as the North Pole
pat-be sure of that 1t understood what ii
was doing. 1t proceeded deliberately and in the
light Of reasons publicly stated by several mem
bers. II urged the floor of the Com
mittee as a Justification for defeating the Cur
It's resolution that Republicans ought to be al
lowed to vote in Democratic primaries provided
they would promise TO support the Democratic
ticket. How else hope to build up the
Democratic party, asked the member from Fred
ericksburg, unless allow Republicans to be
come Democrats by giving them chance to
vote in a Democratic primary?
There are some of us who are not losing sleep
over the question of who shall represent Virgin
la in the Senate of the United States. But we
keenly alive TO the honor and welfare of the
Democratic party for that party represents, in
public way. the honor and welfare of Virginia.
1t Is Il strange thing how many there be who
seem TO think that the ordinary code Of ethics
and morals does not apply TO politics 1t Is a
strange thing how many there be who seem to
think that that which is morally wrong may be
politically right that the general moral atmos-
phere is not affected by the contagion of politi-
cal corruption. Strange, we say, because there
is no device which the devil employs more eff
fectually to corrupt people than to SOW the
seeds of corruption in the baIotbox Corruption
at that source is sure to corrupt the masses
and spread Generalization the pollution of
a spring is sure to poison the stream that flows
from IL II is a trite figure of speech to be
sure. but it is as true gospel
We slow to think evil We have mad5
/ it rule of life not to look for it. We shoulc
he most reluctant to believe that the Democrat
! 10 State Committee was disposed to encourage
/ corruption or even trickery In elections We dc
not believe 1t. We should be reluctant to be
eve that any considerable number of the mer
who compose that committee would use Its ma
chinery in favor of one aspirant for party honor
over another party aspraut The members o
that committee hold a position of trust They
represent the whole party, and while each may
properly have his favoritp, favortes, 1t il
the bounden duty of the committee to tina
/ exact justice is done to each and every candi
date, and that neither is given, by rule or reg
uiation of the committee any advantage owe
another
Especially is il the duty Of the committee t,
keep out of the voting in the primary election
those who are not affiliated with the Democratic
party, those who belong 10 some other party bu
who mas choose to break into the Democratic
! primary for a purpose
/ 1T il just wrong, we hold, for Judges fl
! the primary TO allow To vote who Is no
ii qualified Democrat as it would be for judge
! to allow to vote in regular election a man VIII
was not lawfully qualified voter, And 1t /
/ fairly up to the committee to fit that qualifca
ton 'itsYufid 81 peradfenturV. That IL what tn
| committee is for That is its business, and tn
| Curtis resolution covered the case we'll
No man who has been affating and votinl
! with the Republican patty should be permitted
! to vote In a Democratic primary until he shall
have voted the Democratic ticket at least ono
in a regular election. That is the surest test
and the only fair test, of a mans Democracy
! We hope the committee will meet again ant
fix the qualification. We believe that the safet,
and welfare of the party demand it,
/ 4hc rWgiaion took the view at the outset tha
the party law was sufficient to keep out the Re
publican vote. We do not believe the Stat
Committees action failure to take action wa,
/ from any desire to permit any unqualified per
son TO take part i'll the primary. The weakness
of the whole situation is, see it, one o
method The average primary election officia
viii be at loss how to proceed to enforce thu
party law when his Republican neighbor Offer
to vote 1t seems to ns that in order that this
election shall be above suspicion, the State
Committee should give iron-clad instructions tc
primary officials. The matter is of such far
reaching importance. II seems TO MS that only
a meeting OF the Committee may properly dea
with the question Of method involved