Weekly Trinity journal., 1869-07-24
m the Crawford County Plan.

The Republicans of Trinity county have made
their frst experiment at nominating a ticket un-
der the Crawford county plan. While the exact
vote is not known, still the result is substantially
before US. Considerable anxiety has been felt
! to know how the new system would work, and,
ests in the future, we should impartially con-
slider the lesson Of the Recent primaries. In the
first place, the ticket chosen, as our political
opponents cannot but admit, is good one, and
didates are any better than those who competed
with them. The fact is, the names of excellent
and worthy citizens have been presented to the
voters, between whom many of them found it
difficult to make a choice and it was impossible
to make poor ticket from the material offered.
1t has not been customary in this county for the
Republican party to nominate tickets composed
OF unfit or unworthy men, and this cannot be
urged particularly in favor of the new plan but
it is worthy Of notice and remembrance, in this
connection, that every candidate who was two
years ago nominated under the convention sys-
tenn, and who submitted his name at the late
primaries, was renominated. So far then, the
result is no irresistible argument for against
either the old CT the new plan. 1t has been
warmly urged in favor of the new plan that it
would draw out full vote of the party and in
sure the nomination of candidates who were pre-
ferred by the majority, and it may be that there
has been this year more general turnout than
has bsen common under the convention system,
and that it is capable of proof that the candl-
dates now before us are so with better assurance
of being the popular choice than those presented
in times past by conventions. Candid and OBJ
serving men must admit, that should number
of good men become candidates so as to divide
the vote of those who desire honest and capable
officers, an unworthy person night be nominated
by small minority of only one-fourth or one
fifth of the party. Further than this, the system
does not favor that consultation and maturity of
plans necessary TO prevent or render improbable
the selection of a ticket exclusively from the
largest precinct and the defeat CT all asprants
hailing from localities having but small vote.
The population of Weavervlle greatly prepon-
derates over that of any other precinct and the
voters here, elsewhere, are disinclined to vote
against worthy neighbors and very likely
to prefer such to equally worthy persons
from q distance. The nomination of ticket
exclusively from one section would certainly
be wrong as a matter of poicy-liable to
endanger its success and would be avoided
if there was consultation and opportunity
to act systematically. Another weakness de-
veloped on Saturday last is, that it seems to
Intensity the antagonism between the friends of
rival candidates. On the whole, it is our opin-
ion and we believe it to be the opinion of think
ing men, that while there can be no serious OBJ
lection made to its working SO far, still it is evi-
dent that the Crawford county plan requires
considerable modification before its operations
will be free from the objections which made
conventions distrusted and unpopular.