Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-09

fear that the proposed change In our
county 10 this system VIII result In
much dissatisfaction 10 the voters
That tile primary election system has
It's advocates here Is evidenced by the
fact that q IL the present system OF
selecting candidates. but that 1t gives
entire satisfaction, or anything like Il,
cannot be claimed by anyone who COM
suits with the Democratic fnnssea Of
the county. The manner u holding the
primaries here is this. on the day set
frr The primaries the people gather at
the different voting boxes and vote
their choice Tor county ofnceis by ball
lot, after which the presiding officers
of the election carl mass meetings,
Which elect viva voce delegates TO the
county convention, which county COM
vention opens the returns Of the pri-
maries, declares the nominees. passes
resolutions. etc. This system, on the
face OF u, seems all right and fair
enough and u would be u all men were
strictly honest. But on the contrary,
men need watching when they are
chasing a fat office. The practical re-
suit ~ the above system Is that IN
counilca containing large cities,
these cities almost dictate the nomi-
neeH n the party. To say the least
they have an unjust advantage In the
contest. Now ! DO not say that city
people are more dishonest politically
than country people. but I do saw that
under the primary election System the
city people have more facilities for
wrong doing than the country people
have. Perhaps the country people
would vote the floating. Irresponsible
nnd bum" element, too. n they had
them 90 vote. but from lack Of a noat-
Ing element lf from no other cause
The c1uIlrN vote represents tic Fcuti-
ments az honest aud bona ndo mcm-
ber uf the party while tho ritv vote
iB quite libially Hdultefatad with seu-
tlmcutH iusuirpd hy free whisky and
general cusseduoss. Hero IN this county
where the rural vote iu the regular
legal elections is much in excess 0f
the city vote, % lH "a general remark
that waco selects the officers and the
country elects them. The vote in the
primary elections in the city n far
IN excess OF tho party vote az the regu-
lar polls. While the reverse ls the cnse
In the rural districts. In Tarrant
county vii! not the Gisproportiouate In
iluence " the city be- sun greater?
In my opinion there i8 very large
sized fUccklc hen ur In our county.
Hul way Their, never was "a time when
there was such a large, respectable.
Intelligent ana conservative element
NJ our citizenship ready TO declare it's
independence IN county affairs Of any
dirntlou from a political party. or
rather from amy association for the
control pf Offices. by whatever name
the organization might bee called do
not know with what enthusiasm the
somewhat sslf-willed and by no means
volatile or chnngeahle rural pem0c-
rbcy viii respond 10 the behests Of
Chairman Meade % commence with,
ana ! apprahend that a serious blunder
ON the part OF the executive committee
iu arranging the manner 90 holding
our convention would render "a nominu-
ton for county Office anything but
ruulvulrn. to an election. The country
folks are harmluized all right. / guess,
but that harmony 10 not so solid but
10 might Doe disturbed by an action
which the people might consider an
unjust innovation.
/ feel confident tho committee will
act periodically and do what Il thiuks
best for tho welfare Of the party but
] am afraid u l8 mistaken mn the wishes
Of the people concerning a change I'm
the method OF holding conventions.
do not agree with Chairman Meade
that the sentiment Of the Democratic
muFses is In favor of this cnango. II
seems 20 me TO be largely opposed TO
an Innovation In our county politics
Give us the old system OF selecting
our candidates title system with which
We are acquainted. sLApE