The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1873-04-09
THE CRAWFORD co. SYSTEM.

is contained in the rules Of sal ! system
which we sent him some time since
wishing to know whether in practice
they have proved satisfactory, &c.
Our opinion is that unless protected
by law, and unless illegal voting and
fraudulent returns are punished with |
the same severity as are the same
crimes at general elections, the system
fails in the work for which it was orig
mated, for the reason that at elections
where no penalties arc provided for
such misdemeanors, men will always
be found to take advantage Of it and
look to number of votes they can Sc
cure, and care nothing about whether
the voter possesses the required quail
ficatons or not. 1t is true that three
illegal votes in one township or cleo
tion district lays that township or dis
trict liable to have its whole vote cast
out, or not counted But we have
known this very clause to be taken ad-
vantage of by INSCRIPTIONS politicians
and candidates, thus they would pick
out three illegal voters in district or
township which they we're sure would
go heavily against them, bribe them,
have them properly instructed and be
sure they got their votes in; when the
returns came in these three men could
be produced, and on their affidavits
the vote of that township or district
thrown out. Moreover, we have known
the most extensive frauds covered up
or compromised by candidates and re-
turn judges.
In counties like Forest, where at
Primary election there are not apt to
be mere than two candidates for party
nomination for any one Office, it would
do well enough if protected by proper
penalties for frauds committed, but in
larger counties the rules should be
fixed SO as to have ttco primary cleo
tions, because the majority is very apt
to be ceerced into the support of
candidate to whom they are opposed.
If, for instance, there were ten can
didates voted for, and nine of them
should receive thousand votes each,
while the tenth should receive eleven
hundred, the latter would secure the
nomination, although there would be
a majority Of more than eight thou
sand against him.
What is the remedy? 1st. Have
the Legislature pass law making
illegal voters or dishonest election
officers suffer the same penalties as at
a general election. Cd. Make it a
rule that no candidates shall come out
after certain time previous to the
primary meetings. If there are more
than two candidates for the same Office,
call second primary meeting within
a week or ten days of the first, and
and reject all votes except those cast
for the two having the highest number
of votes for the same office, and declare
the one receiving the majority at the
second election, the candidate of the
party.
in Crawford County, where the sys-
tenn originated, it is now protected by
most stringent law, and fraud at
these elections is punished the same as
at another. The ballot is therefore
more pure in that county than in some
others where this special law is not in
force. They yet lack the advantages
Of second election, and it is an ex.
ception when a nomination is made
by majority Of the votes pollcd.
1t may be argued that the people
will not be bothered with two primary
meetings. Leave that to the candi-
dates. If the Office is lucrative one,
the two opposing candidates OH the
home stretch will bring out a ma jority
of the voters of either party.
This is eur opinion of the Crawford
system, hastily jotted down, and we do
not know whether our view will be
shared by half dozen voters in the
county. Ii, however, there are any
who disagree with us We should be
glad to hear from them on the subject.
We will say in defense of the sys-
TEN, however, that some two or three