The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-27
Greuiug Telegraph
THURSDAY, APRIL 81, 1871.
LIGHT At LAST-RgF ORN IN ELEC-
TTONS

nominating candidates, ana from inc Ie-
quency of fraudulent returns of the results of
elections, are so palpable that every good citi-
zen will hail with pleasure the prospect that
effective preventive measures will be adopted
We have repeatedly advocated in these
columns the passage of a law throwing
legal restraints around delegate
elections as an indispensable pre-
requisite of their improvement. As mat
ters are managed now, no gang of gamblers
ever resorted to such notorious, frequent,
and despicable cheating rs is habitually prac-
tised by so-called local leaders of both par
ties who ''carry" the delegates of many
divisions and wards. This portion of working
politics has sunk from respectability to con-
tempt. and from contempt to crime, until
decent man cannot dsbble in it without being
mortified at the miserable speotacles of petty
rascaliiy which are continually prsctised, and
disheartened by the repeated triumphs of
wrong over right. To thieves, blacklegs,
rowdies, bummers, and rascsls of high and
low degree, delegate elections, under the pre-
sent system, furnish grand occasions for
selling their votes, influence, or vjllainous
talents to ambitious and unscrupulous
tricksters; while by those who have an
honest, intelligent and disinterested
regard for the welfare of the
city, State, and nation, they are regarded as
the most dangerous excrssoence of our gov
ernmental system. The only check that has
kept them from being absolutely intolerable
is the necessity for the ratification of their
ultimate results at the polls; and if it were not
for this, Philadelphia, under the exclusive
rule of the fellows who carry delegate elee-
tions, would be reduced to as dsplorable
condition as poor Paris under the domination
of her infamous Commune.
But it is unnecessary to dwell at length
upon the evils of the delegate
system as now practised. The
great question is, Can a remedy be found
Fortunately an affirmative answer to this
query can row be confidently given. In Cali
fornia an act throwing legal restraints around
delegate elections has been in successful ope-
ration for several years. Ohio has also
adopted similar measure, and a modifca-
tion of the Ohio law was yesterday presented
to the Legislature of Pennsylvania by Mr..
Reyburn, it having previously been prepared
by subcommittee appointed by the Repub-
lican Rules Convention of Philadelphia. In
answer to an inquiry made of members of the
Ohio Legislature as to how the law had
worked in that State, the following reply was
recently received
"CoLUMBUs, April 10, 1s71.-Messrs. Rosengarten,
Littleton, and NeWlln, Commlttee-Gents:-W are
glao that the OHIO primary law Is attracting atten-
fion la your State When the bill was first intro.
duced by Colonel Baber, Of Franklin many hesltated
at first, because 1t was novel measure 1t passed
the House of Representatives last winter by large
majority, and again this winter nearly unanimous
ly 1t was supported on its merit, without regard to
party, and sustained universally by the press and
leading men OF our State. The opposition In the
Senate proceeded chiefly from old fogyism, and
some doubt and prejudice as TO It's practical work
ings. The law has been adopted In the spring cleo
tiOns by both the Democratic and Republican parties
In Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, and other
places, and has worked satisfactorily in stopping
peatng and other illegitlmate practices and tnduc
Ing substantial citizens to take part in the primary
Nominations, who heretofore have refused to psrti-
cipate ON the ground that they were mere farces
Under the old caucus system in our large cities.
Perhaps it might be well in your Pennsylvania law
administer the oath to the inspector and judges
named in the primary act so as to increase the num-
ber of oficerk authorized to administer oaths. We
think the measure will ultimately bs adopted every
where. Very respectfully,
LLEwELLYN BABBR, Franklin county.
JOHN LITTLE, Green county.
d. G.. CALLEN, Mercer county"
The author of the law, Llewellyn Baber,
who represents strong Democratic district,
and who describes himself as strict Demo-
crat, also says that cit has worked admirably
against 6unamerism and tie corrupt use Of
anOney to contr0, elections, the great danger
row to our republican institutions.
Here, then, is remedy, favored and
adopted in another State by many good men
of both parties, against which there can be
no valid objection urged by any class save
those who wish to prolong in this community
the domination of bummerism, raseality, and
corruption; and if the Legislature of Penn
sylvania wishes to do a good and creditable
thing, it cannot be too prompt in passing a
similar law for Pennsylvania. Our readers
will see, by perusal of the bill (Which is
published in another portion of to-days TELE-
GRAPH, that it is remarkably we'll adapted to
the existing exigencies.
Another measure now pending in the
Legislature aims at the other notorious evi
referred to. The Democrats and some of the
Republicans of the State Legislature favor
law providing that the returns of the elections
of this city shall be counted in the presence
Of the judges of the Court of Quarter Ses-
siOns Various amendments of the Registry
law are unfortunately complicated with this
proposition; but if they are postponed for the
present, and attention is concentrated on the
reform relating to the manner in which the
returns shall be counted, such a measure
undoubtedly should, and we earnestly hope il
will, be adopted. The violent, Infamous ant
dangerous scenes which have disgraced the
late meetings of return judges should never
be repeated, and the proposed remedy will gC