Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-05

weighing the real evidence on which
their political action ought to be based
III another paper tries 10 furnish then,
inc facts. they disbclieve It. They are
accessible only to tho kind OF evidence
that their own particular journal pre
fers TO furnish.
The editor. under such circumstances
otten makes tho excuse that he Raye
ms readers what they wanted. Even
II he were an ordinary private citizen.
I'M nm's excuse would hardly pass current.
The man who puts anilinc dyes into
chiidrcn's candy is not excused by the
fact that the children like to have their
candy bright-colored. And the news
paper man is not an ordinary private
citizen. lie Ia, by the course OF recent
events. Entrusted with n place OF public
responsibility. He has IL In his power
more than any other man to see that
The country is governed we'll or ILL., IL
ne enables his readers to base their
votes on organized information. he does
service. II he leads them to bas. those
votes on organized emotion he does
irreparable wrong.
Power of "orEaniZed Emotion"
40 not know whether II waS pr,si-
dent Lowell or some one else who coined
the phrase organized emotion" Whu.
ever may have been tho inventor IL ia
an accurate description of somcthing
which Srnvely threatens the stability
or American government. Every stu
dent OF history knows what fearful
mistakes democracies have made under
the influence OF emotion evoked by pop
ulnr orators: how Thousands OF men
listening to an appeal to prejudice
yelled IN the form OF exposition OF fact
have taken leave OF their Judgment and
brought their Commemorative TO the
Drink o! ruin, or even beyond IL. Our
own people have not been wholly cx-
empt from this danger. The curse
OF the country" said Daniel Webster
In a moment of bitterness. has been It's
orators" This dangerous gift OF the
orator OF making emotion take the
place of information, is one to which
the newspaper has to-day fallen heir
The danger which will result to tho
Commonwealth II our political action
Is based on organized emotion rather
than organized Information is peculiarly
great in connection with the direct
primary.
Under the old fashioned system o.
nomination by party conventions, two
questions were always asked concern
ing candidate; first. did the party
want him? and, second. could he be
elected? 1t was not enough for the
leaders 10 know whether tho candidate
was popular with,the majority of their
followers. II was an equally important
ruestion--in fact. In a great many in
stances, much more important Ques-
tton-whether he could attract n suffi-
cicnt number or votes from the oppo-
site party, or hold a sufficient number
OF doubtful votes within his own party.
to make his election reasonably Ger
tain. They wanted to get the strong
est candidate they could and the
strongest candidate was not always the
man for whom his party associates
were most enthusiastic. He was com
monty Il man OF more moderate Views
than they.
Yielding to Conservatives.
Take salient instance. which has
now become historical. In the sprcsi-
dental campaign of 1860. " the Re
publican convention had consulted the
wishes of the majority OF voters within
the party it would have nominated
seward; lie had taken strong ground
against slavery: and Northern Repuh-
licans who" were excited by the heat
of our slavery contest saw in him their
natural champion. BtU saEaclous men
knew that Seward could not be elected.
and convinced the convention of the
soundneSs of that view. 1t nominated
Lincoln-a man who cared less for
abstract principles than Seward, and
more for constitutional law; less for
the abolition OF slavery. and more for
the preservation OF the Union. The
nomination OF Lincoln was distinct
disappointment to extremists through
out the North: but 1t appealed to mod
crate men In States adjoining the 20
tomac and the Ohio, whose votes were
necessary and sufficient to elect him
This instance is a typical one The
convention system has been distinctly
favorable to the nomination of bust
ncsslike candidates for the principal
ofiices--of candidates who were unsat-
isfactory to some OF the extreme ele-
ments In their own party and salts
factory to the moderate men in the
opposite party. 1T has tended to give
70 ho
instead OF appealing to a group. With
the substitution of the direct primary,
we are bound to lose something OF this
advantage. We are almost certain to
see 2 larger number OF candidates who
represent extreme views on either
side. To prevent this danger from
becoming fatal the press of the country
will have to recognize the RESPONSE
bility that Is placed in Its hands by
the new conditions. and assume that
the position of the editor, no less than
that or the government official, is one
of public trust