Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-05-09
fANUAsrER. PA. May Q, 1880.
The Primary Election.

E We wonder whether there is any IN
1vlligent and self-respecting Republican
Sd Lancaster county who Is satisfied
With the manner in which the nomina-
|tlons were made which he IL expected,
and himself expects, to ratify ut the
polls In November? Doubtless nearly
every man of them will vote the ticket
10 November, despite his conviction that
lt was basely settled despite his knowl-
edge that bribery and corruption, re-
peating and cheating, made the settled
ticket that will successfully appeal to
4 the whole party for support.
To be sure the Republican voter
knows that these were the methods In
nee all around the field Of candidates,
and he may reasonably believe that the
I men " ho won were only little freerwith
! money and subtler in their management
than tho men who lost. 1t was hard
crowd anyway to select from and no.
I body knows whether or no all the worst
men won and the best men lost, there
being so little difference In the distribu-
ton.
And herein Is the objection, we
should think, that our reputable Repub-
1ican friends would make to their
primary system Of election as now con-
Quoted. II neither brings out a field of
the best candidates, nor gives fair ex-
preston of the voters choice even
among the lot presented. That perhaps
Z does not make much difference. At any
rate 1t Is not of particular moment to the
people at large who is chosen among a
+ generally poor lot Of candidates. But
what Is of consequence is the demoraliza-
tlon OF the ballot that occurs at these
I. primaries. When men stand upon the
corners awaiting the highest bidder, and
may vote as often as bought, there Is not
only occasion for Republican shame but
lbr general protest. The Democrat can
: take hand In objecting TO any such
! performance even In the House Of his
{ lbes. It is a prostitution that debases
the suffrage.
The Republican Legislature, In the
4 fhlness of its wisdom, or something
else, has established this mode Of
primary selection of party candidates,
and has covered 1t with the protection
4 Of the law as though 1t was ballot Of
the whole people. But 1t is a failure as
= method for the fair selection of compe-
TENT candidates; which no one will in
cline to deny after the last exhibition in
y this county. The convention system
~ selecting candidates, bad as 1t is, Is
I 1h1 better than this method for while 1t
may not better record the peoples will,
Il cannot SO greatly demoralize them,
3 nor bring the suffrage into contempt.
II there ever was demand for a system
q balloting that will abate bribery 1t
was made at the primary election of last
Saturday, and the Legislature had better
make haste to find it. The Republican
Legislature ought to be willing to save
Republican money and to promote
Republican decency by substituting the
Australian system of voting ut Republi-
can primaries. There is place to test
fts merit but 1t would probably take a
company of the state guard at every
poll to get the voter as far away
1 from the purse-bearer as that cx-
cellent theoretic system requires. II
would stand no manner of show at, say
the Sixth ward polls, where Republican
deacons and church elders assemble tC
buy, as they next day assemble to pray
q and do both with like fervor aud free.
dom. There is eye-shutting in both
Businesses which doubtless serves tc
make them alike congenial to the fervent
temperament of hoary-headed sinners
Z There Is nothing like primary to turn
out the DIR. Jekylls and Mr.. Hyde.
among our Republican fellow citizens
The offices are so fine and fat and tn,
mode Of getting them 30 dirty that i
needs double-barrelled nature to crap
p1e for them successfully.