The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-02-17
The Democratic Adroeate.
WESTMINSTER, MD.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY II, 1883.
Some Suggestions.

Some Suggestions.
In November next there is to be an
election for State Senator, four members OF
the House of Delegates, States attorney,
three county commissioners, three Judges
of the orphans court, county treasurer,
sheriff and county surveyor, in addition to
a governor, comptroller and attorney-gen-
eral.
For most of the county offices there
will be number Of aspirants. Already
some are in the field canvassing among the
people. There can be no objection to this.
Every Democrat who aspires to position
has the right to announce his candidacy
and solicit support. In doing this, how
ever, we would suggest that candidates do
not show too much zeal-that is, do not
endeavor to bolster up themselves by de-
tracing from the merits of others. We
would suggest, also, that there be no con-
tests for district delegations. Such con-
tests usually end in bad feeling, and often
work injury to good men and sometimes
debars the party from making proper choice
of candidates. 1t has been the custom for
nominating conventions to distribute can
didates among as many districts as posi-
Bile. 1t has sometimes occurred that con-
test over candidates has made it inexpe-
dent to select any from the district where
such contest has taken place. This has
happened several times of recent years, and
to avoid that and other unharmonious &C
ton is the object of this article.
There are fifteen candidates to be nomi-
mated Suppose, for instance, there be
two candidates for sheriff, one for senator,
one for county commissioner, one for judge
of the orphans court and one for the House
of Delegates in one district; that the two
candidates for sheriff get up contest for
district delegates and subordinate all other
issues to that of sheriff; at the primaries
they get up spirited rivalry, set up dele
gates pledged to themselves for sheriff, and
no other candidates for the time are thought
of. When the convention comes on the
successful delegates go into convention
pledged to one man. They were chosen to
secure the nomination Of candidate for
sheriff, and by reason of the interest and
the exciting contest delegates feel obliged
to use any and all means, not foul but often
unjust, to secure his nomination. When
the candidate is presented to the conven-
ton, he may not measure up to their stand
ard at all They might prefer, with una
nimity, the one who failed to carry his dis
trict, vet it has not been thought proper to
take I'D candidate who has failed to re-
ceiye the endorsement of his own hume
date people Then, too, the contest for
the sheriffalty in the district may have en-
gendered so much bad feeling that it would
not be expedient to accept the successful
candidate, even though he be first-class
man, because he could not secure united
support at home. Further, such contest,
if the successful candidate were nominated,
might exclude all other aspirants from the
district, as some of necessity will not be
riven more than one candidate. Suppose
there are six candidates in a district, two
for sheriff. two for commissioner and two
for treasurer. How much better would it
be for them and for the harmony of the
narty. if no contest be made for delegates,
but let five men be chosen who will pre-
sent to the convention the name of each
candidate, each candidate at the primary
then and there to declare that he will abide
by the decision of the convention and pledge
himself to support the whole ticket, wheth-
or he be successful or otherwise. One
wear ago last fall the delegates from Hamp-
stead presented to the convention the name
of every candidate in the district. If the
delegates from every district in the county
would do the same next fall we believe a
better ticket could be selected, than there
would be if contests were entered into, and
greater harmony would prevail. The AD-
yoCATE would like to hear from the Demo-
Gratis of the county upon the subject. Now
is the time to prepare, and the sooner pre-
liminaries are settled the better.