Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-08-05
PnnuIar Knte Nnminntinns-

not Office seekers, have become thoroughly Ois
gusted, and are ready to adopt any plan thai
promises to give full and fair expression O.
the party preference in the selection OF candi
dates The feeling exists equally in city and
country, is not confined to any particular dis
triet or county, or to either political party
The delegate system has already been dropped
in many of the heavy counties Of the State BY
both parties, the Democrats taking the lead
and substituting in place of Conventions the
popular vote plan, and with satisfactory re-
suits A number Of the Republican CouLt.es
have taken the initiatoIy steps for making nom-
nations this season by popular vote, among
them Ashtabula, Delaware, and Medina, and
the subject is being discussed in Geauga.
The primary election system has many ad-
vsntages over the delegate plan. 1t rids the
party of many evils attending conventions,
which in numerous instances have become so
serious as to render conventions the mere in
strumen alities of cliques to hold or distribute
Offices Packing has almost become synOn-
imous with convention The popular vote OF
the party in wards and townships removes the
nomination of candidates as far as may be from
the influence and management of wire-wOrkers,
and places it as nearly possible in the free
and unbiased expression Of the will of the
people Every voter of the party has direct
voice in the selection Of candidates, and he
feels an interest in that selection unknown TO
him when the power 90 nominate is conferred
BY a majority of his political friends on few
ward or township delegates. In the one case
his vote counts and telIs-in the other delegates
are usually manufactured By few party mana
gers to his hand. He therefore neglects the
primary meeting feels Indifferent to or dissatis-
fed with the ticket nominated, does little or
nothing during the canvass, and in the end
probably stays away from the polls, strikes off
names, or votes an Opposition ballot. The
voter feels that he had no hand in the nomina-
tion, and is williag that those who formed the
ticket should elect tiff they can The next
election the same process of electing delegates
completely disgusts him, for the same wires
are pulled, and the same familiar names and
managers occupy the stage He now becomes
such an independent voter that he cuts the
whole ticket, and naturally drops into another
party organization In this way strong major
ities are run down, aud political strength is
fnttered away by mere Offiee-seekers and their
~automatOns in a county or district
Oh->he other hand TIE popular vote system
strengthens and cements party organization,
n fsaaa - -
uisPosltlon been papifestsa' = Eetnra tgu0uzsn.
Wayne, Holmes, Stark, Coshocton, Franklin,
Fairfield, &c, have gained in every canvass since
changing from conventions to primary cleo
tons. Their rule is to let no man vote at the
primary election who VII not pledge himself to
stand by the ticket nominated, and 50 much in
terest is felt by the masses of the party when
they have direct voice in the selection of can
didates that the vote of the county usually falls
but little short of the party vote at the election
which follows. The Republicans of COlum-
biana have practieed the popular vote system
for some years past, and the consequence has
been an united and impreRnable front to Loco
focoism. Our observation leads Us to believe
that Misrepresentation and Permanency of the
Republican party in Ohio depend much upon
the general adoption Of some plan Of primary
elections The convention system as now in
vogue has become inefficient as a working bond
Of union-lnd worse, is demoralizing to party
organization. Holding primary elections cause
some trouble and expense, but time and money
csn be spent 10 better advantage in obtaining
full and fair expression of public sentiment,
than in healing divisions and rsIlying voters to
the support of a ticket distssteful because un-
fairly put in nomination.
The mode of holding primary elections varies
somewhat in detail in different counties The
Central COMMITTEES usually appoint the day, the |
voters when assembled appoint judges and
clerks, regular poll books arc kept and the re-
turns are made to the Central Committee The |
Committee open the returns, publish the vote,
and declare the persons having the highest |
vote candidates for the several Offices In Ne
dina county We observe the election is to be held
on the ID of September at the usual places in
the townships the polls to be kept open from
lP NJ to P NJ, the election to be conducted
as at regular elections, except fOrnality Of re-
turns and swearing judges and clerks On the
4th of September the judges and clerks are to
report the result Of said township elections to
Republican Mass Meeting to be held at the
Court House that day, and if no one candidate
has majority of all the votes east for partic-
ular office, then the mass meeting will select the
two candidates having the highest number Of
votes, and proceed to make the nomination
therefrom. Persons having a majority Of the
votes cast to be considered duly nominated ,
without further proceedings. The vote for Com
mon Pleas Judge and Member of Congress is to
be taken at the same primary election, and viii !,
be guide TO the respective delegates to the
Judicial and Congressional Conventions.
In Delaware county the Central Committee
in their call appointing primary elections, name
The l4th Of August as the day, and also two
judges and clerk for each township Polls
10 be open from 2 10 P NJ, the person receiv-
NC the largest number of votes to be the nomi- L
zee One Of the judges to make returns at B
Delaware at P NJ the l6th,and the judges desis- Ia
lated and the chairman of the Central Commit 5
ee to form County Convention to open the re- 81
urns and announce the result; in case of tie, to d
leeide the matter by ballot, and to appoint a
,entral Committee, dc. Delegates to repre- c,
ent the comfy in the Congressional COnven- in
ion, are also to be chosen at the primary cleo b
lOn The call specifies that the votes of Re- th