Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1913-01-24
The Views of Many.

One member of the count,
committee, unable to be presen
at the meeting Tuesday, mailed
the county chairman the follow
ing letter, which contains his
views, and those of many in the
county, on the present condition
of things:
| have your notice, calling a
meeting of the county commit
tee, for the purpose of consider
ing petition of the ci tizens of
Tazewell and North Tazewell,
upon the question Of a post office
primary. | am sorry that cir
cumstances are such that | can
not attend.
| am not in favor Of any action
of this kind at the present time,
because it seems to me that it
would be premature. | believe
that we should wait until the
reigns of government are handed
over before we should undertake
to direct the chariot Of State. |
am not opposed to the primary,
nor to the "Let-the People Rule
Idea, but | am opposed to any
plan whereby anybody except
Democrats should have voice
in its party affairs. fear that
the scramble for office will be so
great that it will prove nation
al disgrace, and, Judging the
nation by southwest Virginia, it
would seem that it has about
already reached that proportion.
Just how to overcome that
evil, | do not know, but it looks
to me like the county committee
should begin the work in its own
house. Let every member of the
committee who is an applicant
for office, resign in order that
their claims may be considered
with that of any other Democrat,
and without prejudice. ANY
other member of the county
committee who has pledged him
self to any candidate for office.
whether that pledge be to another
member of the county committee
or not, should either withdraw
that pledge or resign, for the
same reason. When the commit
tee has thus righted itself in its
own house. application for office
should be considered carefully
and endorsements made by
action of the body as a whole.
with regard, first, to the fitness
of the applicant for the office,
and, secondly, services to the
Democratic party in view of the
past and in consideration of its
welfare in the future.
OF course, the post office
primary would relieve the county
committee of responsibility, but
| believe this plan should be in
voked only when the coun ty
committee, acting as Il body and
free from pledges to any one. is
unable to agree by a good major
ity upon any candidate for that
particular office. Democrats only
should be allowed to participate
IN the primary. There are always
get-together" and conciliatory
methods that can be used to
patch up possible trouble, in
view of the welfare of the party.
where committee methods pre-
vail, which could not be used in
case Of primary.
We should avoid the appear
ance Of the evils of a ring. This
is especially true of the Ninth
District, where the opposition
party has been made UP and
controlled largely by office
holders. The place to begin is
at home. The Individual mem
bers of any body, however small
a part that body may have in
directing the affairs and destiny
of the Democratic party, should
act from a higher motive than
that of personal gain. Beginning
with the county committee and
on up through State and Nation,
the party action on every ques-
ton should so square itself by
the doctrine the party has
preached in the past, that it will
insure the Continuance Of the
party in power for years tc
come.