The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-04-13
Legal Primaries.

Bills were introduced in the legis-
lature just closed to legalize primary
meetings in Baltimore and Queen
gAnne's Counties. The bills make tire
provisions: that judges and clerks shall
be sworn. and that voters can be.
sworn as to their political leaning
False swearing is % be punised as per
Jury; offers TO bride voters also to be
punished. Thepenaltes are from$l0l
to $1,000 fine and Imprisonment mot
longer than one year, a5sts.
Readers of an inqniring mind will
ma urally query. what is the ohject of
such law. Aud where legal cogniz
ance is taken of matters pertaining to
popular elections can any law be con-.
which attempts. TO deprive
"a legal voter from casting. his ballot fei
candidates of his choice, without ques-
.tioning his political fealtyto Iarty? l.
any leagalized form of notwithstanding
to the choice of elective. officers com.
abridge the franchise on the score OF
party fealty, and must permit all who
are legally qualifiedtovote al the gen
eral election sto'cast their votes at u
primary without question. lrs'
If an honest voter participates in a
primary election for the purpose of
helping to place in nomination repu
table candidates and the machine pol
iticlans by the methods known to ,hem
get in nomination candidates whom
they can use and are VIGOROUSLY uirfi
20 fill any Office Of public rust which
is anything but phenomenal -wha
remedy is left but to oppose the bad
choice ofthe primary and vote for an.
opposition candidate? If he,is to be
hauled up by the machine judges of
the primary aud Sworn that he iisl
thick and thin party,man. and, will
abide by the choice of the primary. it
matters not whether its choice be can
able and honest candidates, or scoun
dreis and incompetentss y and efusing
to-sacrifice his political rights as we'll
as his man hood, the bosses, refuse his
vote; or ikpermitted to cast hissvote he.
is told that the law yofthe election
makes it obligatory ON him to stick
to his party and vote the whole ticket 9
orat least he il underoatii to do so and
suojec'ste 'eyere penalty 1T he does mot,
The. bosses with this condition of af-
fairs legaiized have the people acom-,
pie ely lin their power pound hand
and foot without power to purge the
party 0tits masters. ilts flsesa 80 L..
sAll primary meetings should be
openao every legal voter without re |
gard 10 what parry he noniinally is4a
member Of, or what political procliv.
tiles he may entertain and no law cal,
be worth the paper 1t is written upon
whichsatteMpts tosabFdgeans light of
franchise. If q man is legal voter at
the state OF county election, he is le.
gal voter at all subordinate elections
which pertain TO them without apy5
question as 10 his party. politics, The
secret ballotiis The fqndamental theory,
on which our plan Of government is
base J, and ihe object of the secret bal
lIet is that the citizen shalls en;oy his
sivase opinions and Independents POI
Ethical action A Iegaiized primary
nader inquisatorial oathssstrilxes ut the
very roots of this America theory. 4
The public is entilleti'io thesbest cit,
liens both as TO integrity and eompe-
tency to adulniste its affairs and the
primary sirtaally excludes ali others