The herald., 1894-05-11
Reform OF PRIMARY ELECTIONS.

Considerable interest has been shown
of late, both in this city and throughout
the country at large, in the reform of
election primaries. Various fanciful
schemes have been suggested for the
holding of primaries, some OF which
would be liable to greater abuse than
our present system. Most of these sug-
gested reforms have been founded upon
the principle that the good citizens who
now neglect the primaries do so because
they are too careless and lazy to spend
an hour once in a while in attending
them. 1t has, therefore, been proposed
to hold the primaries by mail, so as to
make 1t as easy as possible for all to
take part. Those citizens, however,
who are too careless and lazy to make
the little effort that is now required to
enable them to discharge their duty in
the matter, would likewise, probably,
be too Indifferent to go to the bother OF
filling out primary election card aud
mailing it, They certainly would not
take the trouble to inform themselves as
they should as to the candidates. In
deed, our pressnt system is far superior
to any system OF voting by mail, for by
requiring the personal attendance OF
the voters it tends to get the voters OF
each district acquainted with each
other, especially with the men that are
taking an active part in local politics,
thus enabling each voter to form an in
dividnal opinion as to the men that he
ia called ON to vote for as delegates
Furthermore, there is less opportunity
for imposing upon the judges of the
primary when the voters have to be
present than when they can send in
their votes by mail, and there is like
wise less opportunity for the judges to
make fraudulent count, and as one OF
the objects in reforming the primaries is
to get away as far as possible from ma
chine politics, this Is weighty consid-
GRAFTON.
The reformers have missed the source
of the evil. The real defect in our pres
ent system lies, not in the trouble to
which it puts citizen, but in the fact
that 1t requires him to surrender entire
ly his individual judgment and convic-
tions. 1t is a generally accepted rule,
sometimes expressly stated, that all who
take part in the primaries will be in
honor bound to support the nominees of
the convention that is to follow. How
can any man of independent opinions
and conscientious honesty bind himself
to support a platform yet undrawn and |
candidates yet unnsmed2 Yet this
promise is always implied and some
times expressly demanded at the prima-
ries.
The only qualification that should
be required for taking part in the pri-
meries is membership in the party.
Every man who supported the party's
candidate for president at the last gem
oral election ia a member of the party,
entitled to express his opinion as to its
present and future policy, and in case
the party's decision, either az to man or
policies, is contrary to his opinion of the
welfare, he ia entitled to
the privilege OF honoraby dissenting
therefrom. Allow citizens to take part
in the primaries on these generous terms,
and men OF conscience and intelligence
will no longer feel debsrred from partic-
ipating in them. 1t ia not the hours
time required that deters 40 many from
attending the primsries-it is the abject
of their independence. Re-
move this bar. and many who have all !
along been highly interested in the po
iticsl life OF the people will become more
active therein.
Our primaries may be susceptible OF
various minor reforms they should a.
ways be called under the protection OF
The state law; it must always be borne
in mind that no system conceivable can
ever succeed without a strong apprecia-
ton OF individual responsibility and
duty on the part of our citizens; bat the
most practical and far reaching reform
that can be accomplished at present is
to admit the intelligent and independent
members OF the party TO q free
and honorable participation in its
councils. This can only be accomplished
by allowing them to retain the privilege
Of exercising their individual iudg-
ment
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