Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-11-20
THE .sBAssETT DEMOCRATS"


N. Purcell from their ballots an
voted for John d. Bassett, the Re
publican nominee, for State TreasuI
er, is largely academic. 1t is AGA
demic for the very good and suffi
cient reason that, whatever the la,
land justice demand, nothing will b
done about it, In other words, Will
lunquestionably it could do so undo
the law, the Democratic party ha
no intention of pressing the issue t,
the point of ousting from their poll
teal fold any considerable humble
of its affiiiates who were untrue t.
the primary pledge. They may no
be forgiven, as the Clifton Forge
Review pleads in their behalf. bu
they will be forgotten in so far a!
any party action is concerned, anc
at the next primary they will present
themselves at the polls as usual ant
not a handful will be challenged al
to their political regularity. That is
the practical side of the question; OF
the academic side. the answer is moi
easily reached. The law governing
the case is plainly stated:
No person shall be permitted to
vote for the candidates of any par
/ ty in any primary unless such per-
son of such party and in the last
preceding general election, in
which such person participated,
he or she voted for the nominees
of such party, and, upon chal-
lenge, such person shall declare
on oath that he or she is mem
Der of such party and supported
such nominees as hereinafter re-
CURED before being permitted to
vote.
That statement of the law by no
stretch of the imagination can be
interpreted SO broadly as to encom-
pass the kindly intent of the Dan
vile Register which would meet the
difficulty by ruling that the phrase
nominees of such party" does not
mean all the nominees, but only a
majority, or such a number of them
as may ease the voters conscience
into declaring on oath that '-he or
she is a member Of such party" Fol-
low that kindly intent to it's logical
conclusion and che or she" might
vote for only one candidate on the
ticket and still claim party regular
ity Manifestly that will not do.
The Clifton Forge Review goes a
step further than its plea for for
giveness and forgetfulness for the
erring voters. 1t even holds there is
no illegal or moral way to deny
these Democrats entrance into the
next primary" and advises them,
should they be challenged, to stand
on their constitutional rights and de-
cline to answer" 1t further holsters
its argument by a reference to the
inviolability of the secrecy of the
ballot in Virginia. But our friend
the Review apparently has not read
this portion of the law governing
the holding of primaries:
ANY person offering to vote at
a primary may be challenged as
provided in section one hundred
and seventy-four of this Code, and
upon challenge. shall be sworn by
one of the judges of the primary,
and if he knowingly makes any
false statement as to any matter
material to his right to vote, he
shall be deemed guilty of perjury,
and upon conviction shall be pun
ished accordingly.
If he shall refuse to be sworn,
or if he shall refuse to answer any
question material to his right to
vote, or if he is not eligible to his
party, he shall not be permitted
to vote in such primary.
The Review would better have
stuck to its premise, 1.-The thing to
do is to make the best of bad sit
uation" and forgive and forget, OF
Joined in the conclusion of the Reg
lister that if the law means what il
says it should be repealed.
To the stalwart Newport News
Press everything is all right with the
law and with the party. 1t reflects
/ the accepted party view that no one
4 is compelled to vote in primary
but, having voted, he is under obi
cation to play by the rules of the
game; to abide by the result like {
good Democrat and good sport"
The case of the "Basset Demo
Gratis" and their possible oustin}
from the party is causing much crit
icism of the States primary system
But the critics should bear in mine
that the primary is conceded to b,
the best and fairest plan yet de
vised for the nomination of part,
candidates. 1t must be conceded
too. that a primary is a strictly par
ty affair and it must have reasonabl
protection. Conceding that, let tn
critics further bear in mind tina
not one of them has suggested
remedy for the ills of which the
now complain. When such a rem
: edy is suggested. 1t will be welcom
, ed by the party as whole. for
: may not be denied that the power t
! read large blpcs of voters from tn