The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-10-24

SleStiuHS HelQ IN tnlS state and Sucn
primary elections should be held for
all parties in the counties on the
same day. There should be NO pri-
mary permitted by this State which
is not regulated by statute and con-
trolled by law.
Two years later the subject Of d.
rect primaries was forclbly pre-
scented to the Legislature of 1907
by Governor VIM. NJ. o. Dawson. In
his biennial message, transmitted to
the Legislature on January IL,
1907, Governor Dawson spoke with
the voice of prophecy when he said:
Dawson Advocates Primary.
"The sentiment of the people is in
favor OF primary elections. With
that sentiment / fully agree. While
admitting it is not perfect method
and not without objection. yet 1t is
the fairest, freest and best. 1 COM
mend you to the passage of a law
that will require every political
party so to chose its nominees; that
the election be held at public ex-
pense, by officers chosen and sworn
under the law; that it be held on
one day at every polling place in the
State and that every safeguard pos
sible be thrown around it SO as to
make 1t free from fraud, corrup-
tion and other evils, Not only
should all nominees to be elected by
the people be chosen, but candidates
for Senators OF the United States
should be selected in the same man
ner. There are many reasons why
senatorial nominees should be so
selected. AS it is now, in every cleo
ton OF our members of the Legisla-
ture, members of one or both
branches are nominated and sup
ported with principle reference to
their preference among announced
candidates for Senator. II a candi-
date for senator is a man OF large
means he is able to assist in the
nomination and election OF his
friends and the men so assisted
feel bound to vote for the candidate
who so assisted them. Thus. 1t often
happens that the man who has the
most money is chosen Senator re-
gardless often of his fitness by rea-
son OF ability OF training for this
great office. That this, is serious
public wrong goes without saying.
If candidates for senator were cho-
sen in the manner here advocated, ii
would remove much OF the wrong
full use of money by rich candidates,
would make Senator'S more careful
Of public sentiment, would enable
the people to select men to serve in
the Legislature with reference to
their fitness for that purpose alone
and would save much valuable time
in the sessions of our legislature"
Governor Dawson repeated his rec
ommendation OF 1907 to the Legis-
lature OF 1909, and in 1911, Govern
or WIN. E. Glasscock, in his first BIZ
ennial message to the Legislature,
announced unequivocally his belief
that the people OF the state were de-
manding the right to make their
own nominations and upon this
question he held there was no d.
vison of sentiment among the rank
and file>of the two dominant parties.
In strong language Governor Glass
cock commended the consideration
Of a direct primary election law to
the regular session of the legislature
Of 1911. In his first biennial mes
sage to the legislature, Governor
Glasscock said:
Glasscock Recommends Primary.
If there is one subject on which
there is practically no division Of
opinion among the people of this
state it is on a primary election
law. Men of all parties, and in all
walks of life, realize that our pres
emit methods OF making nominations
are unsatisfactory, to say the very
least, and this sentiment has been
reflected in the platform declara-
tions of both the leading parties OF
this state in every convention that
has been held for the last several
years. Political parties, as a rule,
take advantage of the popularity Or
unpopularlty of any question by de-
claring in favor or against it when
opportunity offers. have never
known a party inspired with any
hope of success !: the polls to de-
clare in favor of any proposition
which it believed would not meet
with public approval or against any
proposition in favor of which any
considerable sentiment had been
manifested,
at the Republican state conven-