The Shasta courier., 1869-04-10
The Crawford County Plan.

| we see from our exchanges Iilat lHe
Republican State Central Committee is
called to meet on the 22d inst, to consult
on the mode of calling convention to
nominate Supreme Court Justices, and
some of the Republican papers are urging
the committee to adopt the Crawford
County Plan of nominating said candidates.
In former issue we gave what we thought
grave objections to the Crawford Plan, and
since then we have seen no argument suf-
! ficient to overcome the objections. Doubt
less the plan might work to advantage
! where but two candidates are presented,
but when multiplicity of candidates enter
the field, then the will of the majority of
voters would have but little to do in noml-
Mating men for office. At the elections to
be held this Fall, We have not only two
Supreme Justices to elect, but DISTRICT
Judges in all or nearly all of the = judicial
Districts in the State, and hence, in view
of the importance of the approaching
election. the Central Committee should
WEIGH the matter we'll before it recommends
the adoption of plan, the workings OF
which are so little understood, as the plan
in question. Indeed, in counties, 1T seems
to us the smaller or less populous townships
would be wholly at the mercy OF the larger,
and the larger townships could by their
superior numbers nominate every candidate
for county offices even from one locality,
no differance how Objectionable such candi-
dates might be to the other portion of the
county, and the same results would follow
in districts, hence by very small vote men
may be nominated for responsible positions
who, under no circumstance, could be the
choice of the majority. We think wider
door would be opened for designing men,
cliques and rings, in forcing upon the
people their pets or tools than could posi-
bly, be done through conventions. In the
State, parties are so equally divided that
success to either party mainly depends upon
the personal popularity, and qualification
of the candidates each party may present
Now, if dozen or more candidates for
Supreme Justices should announce them
selves under the Crawford County Plan,
would not men of Indifferent qualifications
stand an equal chance with those of superior
qualifications, and if the former hailed from
populous localities, by manipulation, wire
pulling and the aid of capital, having in
view future decisions, the corrupt candi-
date would stand better chance than an
upright man who would not stoop to in
trigue to secure his nomination. However
badly conventions may act, when backed
by large party majority, and where
nomination is equivalent to an election, yet
where parties are nearly equal, conventions
look closely to the character, qualification
and fitness of those who come before them
for nominations, for upon their fitness and
qualifications would wholly depend their
chances of success.
In the selection OF candidates for county
officers, we have said the smaller town.
ships would be at the mercy of the larger,
and it requires no ingenious illustration to
demonstrate the fact jackson casts a
much larger vote than any other township
in the county before the primary election
candidates would be presented from other
townships, Jackson would encourage them
to do so, but on the eve of the primary
jackson puts full ticket in the field and
casts its entire strength for the jackson
ticket. BY her superior numbers and the
other townships divided on other candi-
dates, the Jackson ticket would receive
plurality, and thus secure to one locality
all the county candidates to the manifest
injustice of the remainder of the county
This, it is true, is but an illustration, still
it proves that greater frauds and greater
injustice may be perpetrated on the people
by the Crawford Plan than conventions
dare perpetrate. Again, take Judicial
District say of three small and one large
or more populous county candidate is
presented from each, the larger county
would win the fight, although the larger
might not cast one fourth of the aggregate
vote of the district and thus defeat by the
multiplicity of candidates, not only the will
OF the people but force upon them for their
suffrage very Objectionable candidate.
As we stated in our former article, we
are anxious to see any plan adopted that
would be an improvement upon the con-
vention system, but as far as the Crawford
County Plan has been ventilated by the
press, we have failed to discover its ad-
vantages over the old system, but on the
contrary, deem that if adopted as general
rule throughout the State, we would wit
ness, under its workings, more fraud, wire
pulling and corruption than was ever
. Matched out under the incubations of the
worst conventions that ever assembled In
the State. We have no fears as to the
result of State Convention to nominate
Supreme Justices, that convention would
know that it would be but waste of time
to place in the field third or second rate
men. Itwould comprehend fully the polit-
ical situation, and would appreciate the
fact that none but men of the best talent,
probity and legal learning could win, and
would not such men be more likely to re-
ceive nominations at the hands of conven-
ton, than if they took their chances with
a multitude of aspirants good, bad, indiffer-
ent, worthless and unfit, who would rush
into the arena under the Crawford Plan,
trusting to the sublimity of Luck" to winl
Until the grave objections that present
themselves to us, to the Crawford Plan
shall be removed, we certainly cannot give
in our adhesion to its adoption.-Amador
Ledger
STOPPING NFWsPAPFRs-A certain man