The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-03-20
From the Salem Standard.
WHAT rs TO COME OF IT=

This is the question that many Of our
more thoughtful citizens nave been asking
regarding the conduct and influences that
have come to control the primary meetings
in this city. And well may the question
be asked in all seriousness. 1t is a grave
matter, and fraught with more serious
consequences than those who are RESPONSE
BILE for this state of affairs at all compre-
bend. The manner in which the primary
meetings have been controlled for at least
three years past practically deprjyes or an
nuls the voice Of taxpayers in the choice Of
men to fill the various city offices, and with
out independent means are resorted to they
are obliged to vote the ticket that is pre-
pared for them by an element that in no
sense represents the property interests of
the city, and who bear but little of the bur-
den Of taxes which they so f~ippantly place
in the care of like hands with themselves.
The party primaries held last week were
shameful exhibitions of this character, and
in each instance they were dominated by
the same influence and partly by the same
persons, a fact which is generally admitted
and strongly condemned alike by all right
thinking people. A rabble is said to have
been in control of the Democratic primary
meeting on Thursday evening, SO that it
was made necessary to adjourn without
making nominations for the city ticket, in
order to prevent unfit persons from being
put on. The Republican primary meeting
on the following evening was in no sense a
representative gathering Of the party, and
worse still was the shameful manner in
which ~well-known and recognized Demo
Gratis voted in the selection of candidates.
The new law controlling primary meetings
was enacted to prevent this very evil, and
protect the people in an honest expression
of sentiment in the selection of candidates
for Office. Yet notwithstanding this law,
and the fact that the meeting was duly or
gained, and the ballot-box and two in
spectors, Democrats were seen to walk up
and vote with impunity, and never a chal-
lenge made, and some of those who thus
voted were seen to have previously voted
in the adjourned Democratic primaries for
the filling of the city ticket. 1t is a fact
that we make no apology for saying that
the liquor interests were dominant in the
party caucuses. and the only care was not
to get men on the ticket ~antagonistic to
this influence. but rather in the case of
those with the deciding power in favor of
low license. This is the whole matter ina
nutshell, however it may be disguised,
even on the admission of its very advocates.
The question of lower taxes. the proper
management of our now large and increas-
ing debt and a wise financial policy in re-
lation to city affairs, are altogether minor
considerations, but Indifference on the part
of our people in this respect is simply put
ting off the evil day and ssheaping up
wrath against the day of WRATH Other
cities in New Jersey have tried the same
costly experiment and to-day are repenting
in sackcloth and ashes. while the taxpayers
are footing the bills or honest obligations
are being repudiated. 1t behooves the peo-
pie of Salem to take warning, and realizing
the situation. we cannot forbear to sound
this note of warning.
If the W parties prove unable to check
this destructive tendency in the near future
the people will be compelled to rise up in
their might and assert their rights, and a
forecast of such a result was the readiness
of public sentiment to inaugurate a citi-
zens' movement on Saturday morning, and
the final success of such an effort, even
though quite limited in its scope as affect
ing the regular ticket, vet general in its &C
c~eptance with the voters.