The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-11-30
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS.
Gathered by Our Correspondents


An Analysis OF the Crawford System.
EVANSVILLE, November 26.-Laying aside
the many theories as many as the propounders
thereof, as to the cause Of the political land
slide of 1894, 1t is only necessary to reflect
upon the events which gave birth to, stimu-
lated and finally triumphantly carried the in
dependent movement OF 1873, and trace the
connection Of the Crawford county system Of
voting Herewith. AS stated in The -bgiS of
November IL, there were then nineteen as
pirants for the Office OF County Commissioner
alone, and of this number but three could be
nominated. Those who succeeded in securing
places upon the ticket were men against
whom grave charges had been made and they
had not exouorated themselves to the salts
faction OF the people. AS a consequence
portion OF the ticket was heavily defeated.
Let us review as a starting point, the result OF
The primary election of June Il, 1898 and see
from what standpoint the nominations can be
twisted into al expression OF that ''w1ll VI the
people" which an able jurist Of Bel Air Zero
ciously says, is not to be tampcred with"
Taking the vote for State Senator us basis,
that being he only Office for which there were
but two contestants-we find that there were
3,4OS votes cast. OF this number l, fO5 were
necessary to constitute majority. VI the
nineteen aspirants for the Commissionership
the three who secured plurality OF the wide
w distributed vote. became the nominees OF
cast, those nominees received respectively
I,3l2, !, ia aud g29, the total ranging from 400
to 700 below a majority of the ballots cast.
The old maxim that ''the will of the ma
iority is the will of the people," fails in its
application here, for candidate whose nomi-
nation hangs upon the slender thread OF
weak plurality, can by no magic stretch OF
the Imagination be converted into the choice
OF the people. One OF your contributors last
week calls attention to the fact that the Craw-
ford system has been twice voted upon by the
party and each time endorsed 1t was adopt
cd IN 1871, and resubmtted to the people, II
memory serves us right, In 1882 Eleven
years intervening between the votes, and
twelve Years having passed since the last eX-
preston of the desire OF the party was made
The claim has been made, and we think
justly, that circumstances have changed and
the feasibility Of the system changed with
them. In any instance where there are but
brace OF candidates. there could not possibly
be fairer, more direct way of deciding upon
a nominee, but where there are more, 1t can
dot possibly be SO. Let us refer again to the
returns of June II, 1893, for the office OF
Sheriff. The three highest votes were as fol
lows: Cooley, 943 Fisher. 9O2, and hughes,
95l Which of the three was the choice OF the
people? 1t was a matter of such doubt at the
time that recount of the ballots was demand
ed and accorded. That there is growing
dissatisfaction with the system is apparent to
those who take the time and trouble to inves-
tigate and if, as e. W. r. says, "the people
are IN no humor to be tempered WITH" let us
remember that a string of names on the ticket
of 1898, bearing among them, those who are
unsuted to or unworthy Of the office, even il
nominated on the plurality mot majority
plan. might meet with such a disaster as
part of the ticket did in 1893 There are
many names submitted to the people as the
case now stands, which could not secure the
vote of single precinct II they were forced
to stand the test of convention. We believe
that the Executive Committee have undoubt-
eddy the right to direct the manner of con-
Quoting primary election, but probably the
best plan will be to settle the controversy by
submitting the question again to the voters
News has reached us of the death In Balti-
more, of Shadrach K. STREET., formerly of Har-
ford He was a nephew of Justice William b.
Wright.
Mr.. Nevin Gibson and Miss Emma Almony
were married on Tuesday last by Rev. Thomas
Cathcart.
The Christmas celebration will be held at
Dry Branch NJ. F. Church on Christmas even
ing. Active preparations are being made for
the annual oyster supper
Rev. Thomas Henderson calls our attention
to all error in our last letter. The funeral
text at Mrs. Spencer's funeral was from Reye
lations 21st chapter, 4th verse, and not from
Proverbs, as was reported.
Mrs. Leida Robinson is erecting residence
adjoining Gemmill's store.
Rev. j. F. Goucher, President OF the Wo-
mans College of Baltimore, preached at Nc
Kendree. on Sunday. CLAY.