The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-22
troll the election machinery into few

| >-oN-~N0 SAoCtion indchinery INTO q Few.
hands. and tho control of the processes
OF party nominations by cllques of
onice-holders, have brought about con-
ditions the very reverse of those that
Ate system was intended to produce.
| = ear after year 1t became more ap-
I'arent that an increasing percentage
VI the men sent to Richmond on the
DStensipie mission of administering the
PUBIC estate In accordance with the
popular VIII was more concerned to
iurther the interests of Il political COM
plnation than to ascertain or comply
Win the demands of the several CON
sti.uencles, and that the fate OF meas
ures brought before the law making
poules. depended far more on the atti-
tnoe towards them of partisan leaders
tissue or the legislative membership
tnan on the manner in which they were
viewed by those constituencies or the
Intrinsic merits of the measures them
selVes. IL was in realization of this
TACT that.- more than II decade ago.
mere was from the ranks of the rul-
ihts p"rty IN virginia n voice too insist
ent to be denied, for n radical change
IN inc method of selectinE candidates
Ior party prcferment Tho proposition
was notify contested by those elements
pieEiousiy dominant in convention anu
caucus FOR 1t threatened to destroy
their ascendancy and to restore TO the
Ieopio the real influence in determine
ing the agencies and policies Of gov
erhinent. But, although the cry for
party primaries drowned out the onuo-
sltion, the surrender to il was only To-
Gre NECESSITY, and was accompanied
u! mental reservation to cripple the
new system from the start by peryert
eo or incomplete application of it's
principles, and thus to rob it or the
personalities for good which an honest
experiment might have demonstrated
90 successful were these tactics that
,Ioii' year 10 year the fruits of reform
became less and less perceptible The
iarty organization persistcptIv ~.
cIined to formulate n plan Of nrino,ry
regulation adequate to the Insurance.
OF regularity and honesty in the con
quot OF elections held under il The
i-esisihture MT session after session as
pefsistently refused to throw oronn1
me system the safeguards OF law which
ia other states had Accomplished the
ehds sought Gradually the scheme
LOT depopularizing the primary had
'he erect or weaving from 1t the sup
port of many who had in the bcRIpnin,
looked to it for regeneration Of mo
evils or ring rule and official irresnon
hpliitE. ana finally matters Inpsed into
very much the status which had oh.
taiheu when handful Of henchincn of
me iocai machines would gather in
some secret place and put UP tho tick
cts, which all Democrats were cxpcctcd
10 vote Tor. under pain OF wearing the
brand or party disloyalty. The nros-
uluteu primary was little better these
said, than the packed ward meeting or
precinct caucus The fraction OF rho
electorate resortng to the primary nou
diminished TO the vanishing point 90
lar rs the general party electorate was
concerned. and pitiful minority OF the
Natellites or the machine suf!iced in
many cities and counties to dictate Tho
nominations by which five times their .
number OF qualified suTragans were TO
be bound
CUT OF this proceeded "a rcbirth of
me ca iions Indifference with which can
uioatcs Tor elective places looked upon
the body OF the party electorate If
was enough for them If thcy. could ar
range with the local boss or board OF /
bosses for his or their backing That !,
secured the VIII or the citizenship was |
OF small moment Communities with |
essential interests AT stake in the mol :
icies OF the state government wore only /
ADVISED 10 whom these were 10 lee in
tusted, after two or three self-ap- (
pointed dictators had conferred together 4
ana reached an agreement upon which .
OF the!r aspiring scrvitors seats In the .
Legislature should be bestowed The
considerations governing the choice +
had no connection with ability. expo. (
iience or possession OF the public con
'dcncc- II was enough for the cit
liens TO be told that the gods OF tho
machine preferred Tom Dick and Harry
10 constitute the embassy TO Richmond. F,
that was enough. Neither OF them I
might he competent in the sense OF
might be tit. Indeed. when so chosen.
candidates seldom are either That
they can be relied on to obey the or
ders OF their local SPONSORS ana to fol-
low INC program Indicated by the au-
thoritics higher up-that Is ali-suiil.
cient They are the nominees of the
organization, and nothing more need
be said, not even by themselves.
Thus IL has come about that, fol-
lowing on such Endorsement. the can
oidate Immediately closes his mouth
and deiSns to honor the public, whose
servant he wishes to be. with no hint
OF his views or purposes as 10 any no
litical question subject to legislative
settlement. Silence is his motto lie
has already convinced the arb!ters of
destiny that he Will dance in the Cap
itoi when they pun the wires. and
snecze when they take snun Thoy are
going to pull him through. What bus-
mess is 1t OF anybody else what his
opinions and purposes are? So. when
intcrrogatcd about the fee system or
The community at large. he stands mute
is ordered to DO so by his makers and
strange to say. the vot-
ers have submitted To have such can
didates thrust upon them and then J
when too late. that their
rights and interests found no defense
or promotion at Richmond Ia such II |
ease they have themselves TO blame |
we note with qualification that in many
districts In Virginia where the Iegis-
lativc campaign is open the aspirants
are publishing cards setting forth in
detail where they stand and what they
Will work for, If elected This is as
ii should be. No man who withholds y
from his fellow citizens a full exposi-
ton Of the attitude he holds on public
issues can be trusted TO represent them
faithfully. There can be no motive
for such concealment that is good. The
very assumption OF right to ignore
legitimate catcchsm is n confession
Of intent to abuse delegated authority,
TO the detriment of those from whom
NirSinian-pilot
Our GOOdIy Land.
Buchanan County is big scream, a
Rowling success. While the pulpit and
rostrum are begging tho people in