The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-11-16
THE CRAWFORD COUNT SIS TEN.

THE Ora WORD COUNT SYSTEM.
The fact that the Republicans car
ried this cauiity and State at the
election this fail, solely through the
failure of Democrats to turn out and
vote, has brought many Democrats to
believe that their party must seek new
men and u better way of making nomi-
nations. The following article on the
situation in this county is clipped from
the columns of the Baltimore Sun.
The reverses suffered by the Demo
Gratis of Hartford county in 1898, and
again in the recent elections, have led
thoughtful party men to look with APP
Drehension to the election OF 1898, when
a State Senator, members OF the Leg
islature, States attorney, register OF
wills and one county commissioner
are to be chosen. In 1898, by IL coal
ition between the Republicans and
disaffected Democrats u fusion ticket
was elected. In the Democratic prim
ary election that year there were
nineteen candidates for county com
missioners out of whom three were to
be chosen. The nominations were
made under the Crawford system, by
direct vote of the party, plurality
merely being necessary to choice
There was no charge of fraud, but
there were necessarily 16 defeated as
pirants, who with their friends, soured
and disappointed at the result, made
fusion successful. 1t is almost certain
that if the nominations of 1898 had
been made by convention represent
ing every precinct in the county, the
RiaLy or Nunn16 In a hnnn
differently constituted and would have
been elected, for the reason that Har-
ford county has normal Democratic
majority of at least 500 In talking on
this subject a leading Democrat said:
The question which now confronts
the Democrats of Hartford is, shall
the Crawford system be continued?
1t was instituted in 1871 and for some
time served to give good nominations,
but the selfishness and greed of un
scrupulous men have subverted the
purpose for which it was adopted and
now, after twenty-three years have
passed, it is found to have outlived
it's usefulness.
Under the Crawford system for 50
any man in the county can have his
name placed on the primary ticket.
Considerations of fitness for the place
or strength before the people are thus
IL matter of private judgment. The
idea that the Office should seek the
man is entirely lost sight of, but the
man seeks the office most Industrious
ly. The result is small army of can
didates, each with another small army
of followers drawn to him by motives
generally petty and personal and in
some instances pernicious. The aver
81 Iic Ernfa a r fhn
primary election, although not enough
in fighting his brother Democrats for
the nomination of his favorite, failing
in securing his choice, allows his feel
ings of disappointment to make him
lukewarm in supporting the ticket
nominated. This course can only re-
suit in the disorganiZation and defeat
of the party, which has opposed to it
a compact organization that stands
by its candidates.
"Unless the Democratic party in
Hartford county desires to be beaten
again it must adopt some plan of Sc
lecting candidates which will bring
out the best men of the party Under
the present system many men who
would make good and acceptable can
didates will not engage in a house-to
house canvass to secure nominations,
to say nothing of more questionable
methods The business of the county
is distracted and the temper of the
people sorely tried for weeks before
the primaries, and the party engages
in the contest with its opponents in a
disorganized condition.
Some change must be made, and
the sooner the Democratic executive
committee of the county takes the
matter in hand the better. They are
the authorized representatives of the
party and could not be charged with
having the interests of any particular
candidate in view in remodeling an
obsolete and demoralizing SYSTEM