New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-09-20
Primary elections.

Primary Elections.
We have Wing General Committee,
and it strikes us that its attention should
Immediately and earnestly be drawn to
che duty Of securing to their Wing fel
low-oitisens the full, fair and uncorrupt-
ed enjoyment Of their right to be heard
and respected in the selection of Wing
candidates for ofice. The work cannot be
commenced too soon nor prosecuted too
steadily until the appropriate remedies
for existing and fragrant abuses shall have
been devised and rendered effective
Manifestly, the present state of things
tends TO anarchy, division and utter disor-
ganization. If it be q fact, as seems now
to be conceded, that lavish expenditure of
money in any Ward will secure the return
Of any Delegation unless counteracted by
one almost as lavish, then it is time that
change were effected at almost any cost
Means must be found of securing free access
and sn equal vote to every one fairly emit
tied, and to keep out the interlopers and
rowdies whom money or rum has instigated
to crowd the place Of meeting and drive
away silence or overbear the legal voters.
There can, there must be, some mode not
600 inconvenient Of securing to oil their
rights in the matter Of Primary Elections,
and this we insist shall be done at once,
and efeotually. Let us offer some practical
suggestions, even at the risk Of repetition:
Direct Voting is almost indispensable,
Very often a ticket of generally good and
acceptable men is made up for Primary
Election by little cabal in the background
vino have IAN axe to grind" and who con-
trive to have their wn names on the parti-
cular Delegation in which they have per-
sonal interest. The ticket is "put through,
on the strength of its general acceptability,
while the particular job they have under
taken escapes notice, and first comes to light
a when a most unexpected and unwelcome
n nomination is sprung upon the People. The
obvious corrective for this is to let every
elector vote directly for the person he wish
es to run for Mayor, Judge, Congress, AS
sembly 80. respectively, and lot the votes
SO cast be duly canyassed and the general
result ascestained by the appropriate Ward,
District and County Committees or Canvas
sers. In this way, every one who chooses
may be candidate for whatever station he
sees fit, subject to the approval of his party
in Primary Meeting, and, if beaten there,
may withdraw with grace and go in heart
and soul for the popular favorite. A citizen
thus supported would have the satisfaction
of knowing that each vote cast for him
meant SoaetAmg--was not cast in ignorance
or indifference because his name happened
to be on the ticket, but with the deliberate
intent Of electing him to Office. To receive
One Thousand fair, legal votes in this man.
ner would be more fattering testimonial
than TO be elected Mayor or to Congress by
an ascendant party, simply running even
with the ticket. We say this is the true
way; Let every one who chooses be a candi-
date in welcome at the Primary Elections
purify them and guard them against fraud;
and then whoever shall receive the highest
vote for any station will be very fairly enti-
tied to the support of the entire party.
Doubtless, work must be done to en-
sure fair play at the Primary Elections, but
that is only an urgent reason for setting
about it forthwith. In the first place a
fair poll-list of every known Wing in each
Ward ought OF once to be made out by
the Ward Committee and posted up in some
public place, where every Wing citizen
should be invited to inspect it and'suggest
any names that have been omitted. Then
when the day arrives for she Primary Elec-
tion, no vote should be received except from
those inscribed on the poll,ist, except upon
satisfactory evidence that he who offers it
is a legal Wing voter of the Ward.-This
may seem harsh, and we shall be glad to
see it improved upon; bur anything is bet.
ter than the reign Of fraud, violence and
barefaoed corruption, since these will de
prive the nominations which may be made
under their influence Of all solid claims to
support. We TRUSS the General Committee
will promptly and thoroughly do its duty,
.---a--sssp-----
DEEAwARE.--The Opposition il Delaware have
dominated George Read Riddle for Congress, and
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