The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-01-03

ohnhinate traud without taking away
the ballot from any Democrat.
The articles are In no way inspired by
any candidate for ofics and none
know OF their preparation. They are
aesisned solely to assist the mass of
Democratic primary voters to clean
house, Bills to this end will be act
I'd on In the next Legislature and our
readers are OF course Interested in
the subject at this particular ume.)
The reader of these lines, II ne Is
one OF the thousands who have helped
to manage any or our primary cleo
tons can write O better set Of regula-
tons than we now have
The great problem has been not
what to do. but to set anything done.
Why Convention Does Not Act.
We have depended on party conven.
tons Time after time the convention
hss sidetracked proposed reforms II
you have even been to q State con-
Vention you know why. II 10 an un-
wieldly crowd OF men who rush
through a lot of business in q few
hourA They get to consideration Of
me report OF the committee on rules
late In the programme: sometimes Il
Is near midnight. There is no time to
deliberate and rather. than adopt
changes they do not understand the
convention does nothing. .s....
Even sAould the seaslon be extended
TO two days and the second given 70
the rules. there could DO no thorough
consideration Delegates twice as nu.
msrous N the whole legislature. un.
organised. split into warning factions
many Of the individual candidates for
an impending primary cannot DO ex-
pected TO give tho calm. fair. non-p par
isan attention and decision without
which there could be no satisfactory
changes Ia our primary system.
We are not guessing at possibilities,
or even stating probabilities, but ia
cling facts established In our conven.
tions
Something Stronger Than Rules Necd-
cd
But suppose for a moment that we
could eliminate factionaiism for once
and hold the convention In session
long enough for careful deliberation,
We would then get only party rules
and not state laws. We protect our
hogs by law: shall we trust the birth
right Of our suffrage to party rule?
When our people 20 to the ballot
there Is set In motion one OF the
mightiest forces than ever move them.
Deep convictions are stirred. strong
prcjudiccs are aroused. wild passions
loosed. Along with the many moved
by high motives march the determined
band Of avaricious seekers for per-
sonal advantage. and those lusting for
power. Here. II anywhere In the life
of our people. tho strong arm Of the
law In needed to protect us from the
forcss OF evil In the exercise of the
most sacred and fundamental act of
citizenship.
AT tho hands OF the legislature we
can get redress II can build a bull
vark to protect our ballot. q buivvark
buttreesed by the law and backed by
all the forces Of our government. ..
Even In States where tho primary
nomination is not equivalent to an
election they control evoIy detail of
heir primary elections by laws. How
much moro necessary are legal safe
guards with us where tho primary In
everything
Our legislature has felt tho neoes-
sity OF primary protecting statutes
and has enacted some. But they are
scattering and apply only here and
there. leaving such wide spaces un-
protected that they amount TO kttle
or nothing. BY passing them We have
admitted the principles OF statutory
regulation. but By stopping With only
a beginning accomplished. our effort
has been futile.
Now Ia tho Timo 70 Acs.
IL only remains for you. tho read
ere Of thL, article and tho rest of the
rank and Ale of the party to say to our
representatives. now about 10 assem-
nla. "QlNA Mn a aim nle r,laIn .tran1