The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-05

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 not have men ready to run to the SUD- port of some other candidate at the first opportunity; we should not have men who are really in the interest of some other candidate
 The only way to secure a really rep resentative delegation while giving such recognition as ought to be given to the men who are friendly to other candidates will be to do this with an eye single to the interest of Mir. Underwood and with view 10 the promotion of his candidacy.
 Moreover, MT. Editor, do you not real ly think that it is possible to run any good thing into the ground? Is it not possible to make a serious mistake m this primary business? Is it not 8 traversy upon the primary system to insist that a merely honorary position, like that of delegate to a national eon- vention, should be selected by a primary system, and thereby compel the best qualified men in the state to refrain from being candidates, or to become such af an unreasonable and burdensome ex- pense?
 I well remember how the city commit tee of Birmingham ordered all the various heads O. the various departments con nected with te clty's service to be can didates in a primary. These various of fees paid from $1200 to s2400 per annum. The incumbents in the main were men of special proficiency and experience. lney had been trained up in the business. There was no doubt as to their character or qualification, and yet about half Of tnCm were defeated in a primary, some because they were not able to bear the expense and others because they did not understand sufficiently the political art Is it not possible to impair the efficiency of the government, as we'll as to corrupt and demoralze the public service when we put candidates for minor offices to the heavy and ruinons expense required by tine primary system?
 do not doubt that the more important officials, state and county, and indeed municipal, should Le nominated by the primary system, but is 1t not really run ming it into the ground to extend it 70 purely clerical or minor positions where the office, if ever ought to seek the man, instead of the man seeking the of fee? The people of Alabama may justly be said to be in favor of the primary system as a rule. l think they are, and I am not disposed to have it otherwise, but it seems to me that by pushing the demand for primary to cases and condt- tions to which the primary system is not really applicable, We invite reaction against the system and are likely to on danger it rather than promote it. The people themselves are interested in hav- ing as candidates for every public office men who are truly representative; men who are of the highest character and i8 they find that the primary system drives, or has tendency to drive such men away from public office, and make of the public service place only for the rich or corrupt, or so heavily bur den the self respecting man of moderate means, as tc make him avoid the service rather than to seek it, we are certain to find a reaction against the method. The way to provide for the abolshment of the primary system is to extend it to cases and conditions to which it has no just and reasonable application.
 SYDNEY J. BOWIE.