Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-10-27

conceded to have made an ideal Mayor
and to have done much to give New
York City the best administration
since the city was founded Is one of
tho peculiaritios Of popular govern
ment.
However, tho question now before
the voters Of the metropolis is, GLOW
far Is n voter bound by the action Of
party primary and how far and to
what extent are the leaders Of q
party bound by the same decres?"
We have read with interest tho very
able communication of Hon. Elihu
Root as published in the New York
Sun of the 18th inst, with reference
to this phase of the subject. He ar
CUES that because the people of tho
state under the leadership Of the
Republican party separated munich
pal elections from State and national
elections, members Of political parties
are FREQ from party obligations in
voting for candidates for municipal
offices, even though those candidates
have been chosen by the primary plan
legally In operation for the purpose of
determining the choice of the respec--
tive parties for municipal offices.
Ex-senator Root Is an authority on
constitutional law and he Is one o.
the ah!est If not The ablest statesman
now before the American public AS
TO his standing in the arena of the
world on moral questions we are un-
able to vouchsafe an opinion. We can
understand, how Republican, who
dlI not participate in the Republican
Party Primary could vote for tn.
Fusion candidate without sacrificing
his party regularity but how could n
Republican who did participate do the
Same thing?
Ex-senator Root says.
The way in which nominations arc
made when they arc made whether by
primary or by convention, is unimport-
ant. The effect Of nomination il
the same either way. and the c,nstitu
tlonal principle firmly established Is
that III municipal election the voters
OF every party remain absolutely free.
This principle cannot be annullcd In
one party and maintained In Til,
other. We cannot say that Democrats
are Tree to vote as they choose with
out regard to the Democratic nomina
tion without saying that Republicans
arc free to vote as they choose in the
coming municipal election without re-
gard to tho Republican nomination.
The argument is logical, II the
promises laid down are correct. But
are they correct? Wlen voter en-
tcrs party primary, is he morally
bound to support the nominee of that
primary. whether the candidate no
is nominated or not? This
is the question and after reading Hon.
l1lihu Roots dissertation, we fail to
find him meeting the issue. His arg,r-
ment In favor Of Mayor Mitchell isa I'm
orressive and we are led to wonder
Why he did not win out In the primari-
IS. AS the matter now stands, Mayor
Mitchell, who voted in the Republican,
We presume Is a candidate,
or office although he was defeated
n those primaries. /
He has a good show of being re-elect
I'd. He ought to be reelected, but how
distinguished statesman like Hon.
Glihu Root can argue that a person
" honor can enter a primary, get
licked and then can come out Of the
primary and knife" the man, who,
Won unless the result was obtained
~ palpable fraud Is mystery to us:
Theodore Roosevelt.
Judge Charles Evans Hughes, and
many other we'll known Republicans
ire supporting Mayor Mitchell. They
give AS reason for this that Mr.. Ben
lett, the Republican nominee has no
chance Of being elected and that Judge,
Iylan, the Democratic nominee, who
s alleged to be under the control
u Tammany Hall will have 50 walk
over" unless the Republicans support
Mayor Mitchell, who Is guaranteed
ihe support Of Independent democrats.
For our part, it appears to us that
The situation in this world is now !
critical. Evil is everywhere in evil,
lence and men who are doing right
and who are standing for great prin-
ciplcs are ridiculed from the hastings. !
God, as a result Is causing the nations
to pay fearful toll H. blood and
treasury for their wickedresa and
from the dark clouds lowering in the
distance, The end Is not yst