Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1871-08-25

will be added to the party whilst its harmony
will be preserved
Now in order to obtain men Of the class
indicated the office must seek the man, not
the man the office. Is the "new departure"
plan calculated to promote this desirable re-
suit Clearly to my mind it not only will
not aid Us in reaching this end, but will throw
insurmountable barriers in our path.
By this new plan it is proposed that can
didates for the different offices shall be voted
for at the primary elections. Aud to do this
intellgently they must be announced before
hand, otherwise it would be not only useless,
but senseless to vote for men who would not
and could not serve, in order to crafty the
local or personal preference of each voter
The result would be that only such cap'li'la' es
would be voted for as had been announces,
and when men announce themselves as cam
didates with a knowledge that their II mlna-
ton depends upon the number of votes re-
ceived by them we will have every district 10
the county actively canvassed by men who
are seeking the Office, whilst those whom the
Office ought to seek will be nowhere. And
our nominees would in all probability be
mere cross-rosd politicians, who have nothing
else to do but to ride about from place to
place and by personal and other appeals Sc
cure votes from the unwary and amiabe.
l know that conventions are to some extent
Objectionable; that they are liable to be pack
ell, and to be controlled by wire pu'lers, &C.,
but with all their Objectionable features, l
think they are preferable to the new plans
and in the end are calculated TO give more
satisfaction. They are but human instltu-
tons and nothing human is perfect. But the
remedy for nearly att the abuses arising from
their misconduct is in the bands of the people
themselves. Let the people attend the pr :
mary elections and select from their midst
substantial and unpledged men and it will be
impossible to pack conventions, and wire
pullers will be at discount. Then and not
till then will you have nominations rendered
to your best men, and by them accepted be-
cause so spontaneously offered, and the har-
mony and integrity of the party preserved.
There are many other reasons which suggest
themselves to me and which would sustain
the views l entertain, but space will not per-
NIT me to present them now.
But there is one reason why at this time it
would especially be unwise, to adopt this "oew
departure" plan of No. 5, and that is because
the Democratic and Conservative party will
be called upon to determine whether or not
nominations should be made for the Orphans
Court, States Attorney and Sheriff. There
is much difference of opinion on this subject
and submit that this difference can only be
reconciled by the harmonious action Of a Con-
vention composed Of delegates from all parts
of the county. who heys 70 personal wishes
to crafty, but only tie welfare Of the party
at heart. and cannot by-ahy possibility be
settled by the primary elections.
Believing, therefore, that Convention as
sembling under the present call Of our Execu-
tive Committee would be more conducive to
the welfare Of our party. have taken the
liberty of sending you these hastily thrown
together suggestions. PoMoNKEY.