The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-07-05
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
A Prosposed Change in the
Primary System.

l
Primary System.
Permit me, through the STATEsMAE, to
enter my protest against the present
manner of holding primary elections fol
delegates to the convention to nominate
county candidates for Office.
object to it first, because it stiles the
voice of public opinion and deprives the
elector of direct vote for his choice of
candidates for county offices.
Where there are number of candi-
dates to be nominated it is impossible for
the voter to make ticket of
delegates who will represent
that vote in the convention
If desire A, to be nominated for coun-
ty judge, B, for county attorney, G, for
county clerk, etc., 1 am not certain in
making out my ticket for delegates OF
more than, one or two of those delegates
voting in convention for more than one
or two of my choice as candidates for of.
fee. Thus am confined in an expression
of my opinion to one or two of the candi.
dates of my choice, and 1 am absolutely
deprived of my right of voting for all the
others of my choice by the present sys-
en-.
My right of selection of candidate is
just as dear to me as my right to vote
and it is no more unjust to deprive me
of one right than it is of the other
This objection ought to be sufficient to
condemn the system, for there is no me re
sacred right to the citizen than that oil
the free and untrammeled right of suf
frage.
My second objection is because it puts
the nomination of all county candidates
into the hands of ward manipulators who
| are sufficiently rewarded by the Stree
beer" between the time the primary is
held and the day of the convention
and the influence thereby obtained to
control some petty office. Let me il
lustrate this objection. went to the pri.
mary in my ward, hoping at least TO vote
for one man in the five delegates who
would in convention vote for at least two
men of my choice. A gentleman who was
a candidate for the convention, knew of
my very decided preference for two can
didstes for nomination by the conven-
tlon. In my presence he expressed an
earnest hope that these two gentlemen
would be nominated by the convention.
VI course, voted for him, and my vote
elected him delegate to the convention,
for he received only majority of one.
procured him, however, several other
votes. You can imagine my surprise
when, on the next day, heard him express
the same hopes of the nomin alton
of my two friends, but he added: "If
bod not promised the opponents of these
gentlemen to vote for them before the
primary was held 1 would support the two
friends of Colonel NJ"
Now, l ask, in all candor, am repre-
sented at all in the convention. The only
man l felt certain would vote for nv
friends, and for whom l voted and pro-
cured votes, declares that he is bound bv
a pledge to vote for their competitors.
will not consume your valuable space
by enlarging on the self-evident proposi-
ton that the manner of holding the pri-
maries is unfair, unjust and undemo-
cratic, but 1 will propose a remedy.
Let us take only one Office and illustrate
that OF candidates for county Judge. Let
us suppose that l am the friend of Mr.. B,
In the primaries. When the democratic
voters OF the ward convene let the plan he
Tor me to introduce the following resolu-
ton:
RESOLVED, That the delegates from
this ward In the county convention be in
structed to vote for Mr.. B. as the demo-
cratic candidate for county judge"
another gentleman who favors Mr..
a. Will then introduce an amendment
70 my resolution, submitting the name of
Mr. A. as the democratic candidate for