Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-03-01
lalllaste1 f1telIiqer1cer.
WEDNESDAY. EvEN'a, MARCH /, lss2
Party Rules.

I6Ety 0uleBs
An" arithmetic man "can easily fig
ure out that under the new rules pro-
posed for the Republican party in this
county the choice Of plurality can be
defeated. Many queer tricks can be
played with figures, especially when
manipulated by politicians, and it is
easily possible under the new rules for a
man to get a plurality of the votes and
not even be mentioned in a county con-
vention nor have single delegate. The
new rules prevent the possibility of the
." dark horse " coming to the front when
the deadlock ensues between the leading
candidates but they also 90 far to ex-
c!ude from the contest men who may
get {. very considerable popular vote.
The advantage under them rests with
those who can carry districts rather than
with those who can command the popu-
lar vote. He who secures 25l votes out
of 500 votes is as well off as if
he had 400. But this is an in
equality of opportunity that seems to
pertain to all representative systems, by
which, on the one hand, minorities often
fail to be represented, but on the other
hand an aggregate minority very often
controls the result. A popular minority
can elect a president and minorities very
often control the nominating conven-
tions. Besides, under the present system
candidates can be nominated in this
county who haven't the support Of more
than 5000 or 4 900 votes out Of $4,000 or
$4,000 polled. Indeed, with a number of
candidates, it has been demonstrated
that almost any compact organization of
the weakest and worst can win against
disorganiZation among the others; anil
TO defeat one ring another has had to be
formed, in whose composition equally
base clements are generally found. The
dubious results Of the primaries, the
fraud attending them, and the demOrali-
Zation which has ensued from max
ing politicians out of all their peo-
pie, have very completely disgusted
the Republicans here with the Craw-
ford county system, and we do not won
der to find them ready to exchange it for
that which is proposed, though its
merits and popularity cannot be foretold
until after it is given trial. 1t is Ger.
tainly somewhat complicated and though
it apparently combines with the popular
vote idea the delegate system, we think,
in practice, the delegates will be found
mere automatic. In most every instance
the result will be entirely calculable upon
the face of the returns, and-should it
be adopted-wheneve that calculation
counts cut a man whom the plurality of
the popular vote would have elected, a
violent kick at the new rules may be ex-
pected.
Whatever rules the Republicans adopt
th"r" is no doubt that the Democratic
pa: IN both the city and county needs
some formally expressed rules. Itsprac-
tees are now regulated only by tradition
and by precedents liable to be disputed
When the officers of the primary elec-.
tions, delegate meetings or county con-
ventions are sworn, under the new law,
to conduct them according to the
rules, they have no means of know
ing what they are swearing to do. More
over, the present system Of representa-
ton, by which district with GOO Demo-
cratic votes has no more voice nor power
in convention than a district with 10
votes, is Infair and should be modified
it once