The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-08-15
THE STATE WIDE PRIMARY

Friendly. W. Va. Aug. ~. l9lS.
To the Editor OF The IntrIlis"ncer:
1 most heartily concur in your cdi-
torial Of to-day in regard to election
primaries. The primary is thci most
corrupt and unsatisfactory method ever
devised for making nominations. All
the objections you mention. aud many
moro. are applicable. l favor thr s"icc-
ton OF all delegates and candidates by
convention. commencing with the dis
trict.
hope you will continue the advocacy
of n return to convention methods. as
they are better from every standpoint.
Very truly yours.
P. Fl. ANDERSON.
The above communication. Tho Intel
ligencer believes. expresses tho mind Of
practically every public man in West
Virginia who has had anything to do
with statewide primaries. In the last
analysis of the statewide primary 1t
is found TO be simply rich mans game
an invitation to corruption and to lavish
money spending. 1t lowers IN" tone OF
the electorate and results in distinctly
inferior nominations. The fnt"lligcncer
never was an enthusiast for the state
wide primary. When the present method
was adopted first by the Republican
state committee The IntelliSenccr en-
tered it's objection at that time to u very
considerable length. In no spirit OF
vain boasting. but simply because it be-
lcves the people Of West Virginia Viii
be better served by another system. The
lntelligcncer again calls attention TO the
difficulties and evils Of the primary
plan. This is n representative govern
rnent II is not Il pure democracy. and
our fathers. who founded this republic.
very wisely decided that il should not
be. In their wisdom they planned that
the citizens should select from among
their own numbers men VIII" wou[d
gather together and decide upon the
questions OF public policy. They dld
rot plan for direct legislation by popular
vote. The most Of them were students
Of history. They knew the evils III Such
a system from the history OF Greece,
and of the Italian and Dutch republics
They combined all the benefits OF Tree
institutions with the restraining intlu-
euccs of sober representative bodies, and
m, result has been government the
most stable and. at tho same time. the
most responsive 10 lHt JiuHIASh' - 49,
peoole that exists anywhere on the face
OF the earth.
The convention system Of party gov
eruuent is akin to the representative
system in national government. 1t Is
lust as logical 20 abolish our state leg
isiaturc and submit questions or taNa-
ton. the appropriation OF funds special
lcrislatiou and tho acts of judicial ana
executive bodies u 4 popular vote as II
is to abolish the state conventions ana
nominate candidates by popular vote
LEGISLATURES are sometimes bought ana
conventions are sometimes corrupt, nut
in the long run they give higher aver
age of Intelligent results than popular
! vote can possibly do.
The next session OF the West virginia
; Legislatures can perform no more Valu'
able service than to modify the primary
; election law in this state so as TO open
! tho way for q return to the convention
, system. and, at the same time to thro"
about tho party primary for tn" nomina'
;ion Of delegates all the protection OF the
: law.