The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-10-09
Friday, Get. 8, 1891.
Refcrm in the Primary NEEDED.

The Wing last week relterates the charge
Of The eighth district agreement" and
publishes corrected copy which It says
was submitted 10 Mr.. C. c. Crothers. With
out copy holder to read 1t by we could
discover no preceptible difference between
the purported $ forgery" SO branded by
the Ners, published the previous week and
the corrected copy. The Democrat has
nothing 10 say.
This emphasizes our suggestion for a
radical change in the primary election law;
or rather law instead Of the custom which
exists. Our mode of nominating candidates
is extremely faulty, and open TO the most
serious abuse, and this loose mode in prac-
tice has been used constantly by professional
politicians to carry out the most corrupt
practices on the people and wholly defeat
their wishes. It is full time aradical re-
form was Instituted in this most important
part Of our election machinery, since the
primary is virtually the election where the
party is Overwhelming strong.
If the primary is 10 be regulated by law,
it ought to be held after the manner of the
general election and on the Australian plan.
The names of candidates should be all
printed on one ballot, as at present arranged
for the election, bat the number of names
for each Office should not be fixed number
on the primary ballot. Aspirants for the
several offices to be filled or their friends
and admirers should berequired TO publish
the names thirty days in advance in the
newspapers, and the names SO published
should be placed on the printed ballot and
no others. The candidates receiving the
highest number Of votes on each ticket for
the several Offices should be the nominees.
and it should be the duty of the judges Of
the primary election TO count and return
the list from each district in the same man
ner that is done at the election, on return
day named in the law, and from the lists so
returned the tickets should be made up of
the names having received the highest
number Of votes.
Such system would dispose Of county
conventions with their corrupt methods,
agreements, trades, bargains and sales. The
people would select from the names on the
primary ballot, and they would choose the
best, and those who are selected under the
present primary system by boss manage
ment to be used as tools, would be left out in
the cold.
Had such system been in vogue numbers
of those whose names grace the present
tickets would never have received single
vote. Such system of primary elections
would insure all tickets to represent the
very best men Of all parties. The popular
vote would never be cast for scalawags if
the people had free choice in the nornina-
lions. The scalawag is the result and choice
of the machine. One of the most important
changes in election methods is radical
change in the primary election. Here is
where nearly all political rottenness centers.
Under such method of making nominal
tons it would be nearly impossible for any
but the very best candidates for Office to
t5tcuIS pldS'tb Uu Tic ttCACtcs A]Ot 10 AosC
the Australian primary as we'll as the Aus
tralian election ticket. That objectionable
feature in the present law requiring 200
petitioners to place new ticket before the
voters, could be gotten rid Of by presenting
such tickets to the voters for their endorse
ment at the primary election, and if they
received the minimum number of votes
named in the law, (which should not be less
ia a county than certain per cent Of the
whole vote cast at the primary then such
ticket or tickets should be placed on the
election ballot and not otherwis. If Mr..
Writ will exert his influence to secure the
passage Of such primary election law he
will deserve we'll of his constituents. To
purify our politics we must commence at the
primary. There is where the devilment is
done.