New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-09
A WAY TO BEAT THE BOSSES.
THE CRAWFORD COUNTY PLAN FOR
CONDUCTING PARTY PRIMARIES.

DETAILS OF SYSTEM OF NOMINATION THAT
PUTS 1T ALL IN THE PEOPLES HANDS
SUCCESSFUL IN PENNSYLVANIA
AND FINDING FAVOR IN
THE WEST.
A plan Of conducting party primaries known as
the Crawford County Plan has been largely
edopted throughout the West 1t is little known IN
the East. and with the present complications IA
the Republican party of New-York City. 1t VIII AZ
ford much Of interest TO those Republicans VINO AZ
anxious to place the party on such a roofing 'ha'
each individual voter shall have his say In the con-
drct,np Of party AFFAIRS and naming the candidates.
The crawford County Plan" originated In the
county of that name In the northwestern part Oh
Pennsylvania a number Of years ago. ana mas s'i'oc
heen used In parts Of Ohio and other states iur te
West The plan was adopted by the Crh"ioiu
County Republicans after they had experienced
rreat difficulty with their former system OF NOM
nations which were made entirely on the oeesa'e
and caucus plans 1t had fallen into such rut that
the same set of men had become masters OF the
marty wear after year, and had dictated every parry
nomination Then the plan now determined Oh ""s
sslec,ed 70 prevent fraud at primary elections. A
snec,al act Of the Legislature was passed. eh'.Ieu
AN Act to Protect the Election OF voluntary ro-
ut,cal Associations to Regulate Primary E!ecuohs
and Punish Frauds Therein. Within the Limits VI
crawford County" This act with the rules tor"u-
lated under It. placed the primaries on 'no'e 'e
cure footing and there was at once iaiins ''' VI
the cries OF fraud. For time the same Ha"ae'i'
ubo had seen At to dominate the party managed u
control IT, but II was not long. and the his'oi! VI
,he,r downfall can be best told by saying that ono
~, than has moved to the extreme west afo'hci
has taken up nj. residence In more congehiai par,
=, p.nnsvIvan,a and several others VINO hao ny
sklful work in the combination heid themse''o' "
some public place OF profit for period Oh '"e"..
Ave wears. arc now retired from active "orA !" TIC
party. 49,. c,,. q.
The system a. adopted In CRAWFORD coun"
strictly a county organization. and direct Vo'e 'oi
o.,,,,a ia given at the primaries; there
-. a.,.oatee except the election ofilcers, VINO
su,pIv make their returns on the result OF ,he 'o'
cast II Is direct expression Oh 'ho wiz -,
neonle for the candidates OF their choice' "".
the nan has been adopted in other sections .. ''o
State and In Ohio 1t is applied 10 larger 'e,i.o's
n,,h eoual success In substance II Is the aooP''s
~ the general election laws by party LOT NOM
eating nurposes All the paraphernalia OF All e'co
,,or Including tickets. tally-sheets ana re'u."
hanks are used The primaries are helo IN inc
regular voting place OF the eiecuoh "'Su'..' ~
that Is rot ohtainable. In place OK eq"ai
b,lity in the district There Is no res'''e"o" W.
,hosa who NAV be candidates for party nomIna
~ Az r.rson who Is eligible for public once
NOV e,,er the race providing he announces MS IN
,e,t,ons under the rules laid down by tho parry
Tho tickets, ar. printed by the County oo"'i''',ee
and only the official ballot Is used TINS Suns
ticket with the names Of every candidate 'or en-"
office printed on II. In fact. even 10 III.
prescribed by statute every EFFORT Is mauc " "'''
the primaries conducted WIN as '''u'"
the general election
THE PEOPLE WON
II 1. true that at one time II looked az ]. INC
tom would fail az the same men VINO ma" 'e'"
doing their work under the old deesa,e s'''e"' "
,emn,ea 20 control the primaries. ana TOT ''''''
.aaad.a owlng 20 the fact that the voters did nor
o,,.ra ,ham in sufficient numbers 20 overcome inc
vo,e Of their particular henchmen AS soon NE w.
voters began TO realize the importance OF 'ho 'e
given them under the system they a'''"''" -
regularly md now the vote al the prirhhr'e' ~ ~
n rule. nearly equal 10 the party vote NJ 'he tr"''a
a,oc,,on and all tn. party differences arc a."
,usted through the medium OF the primary e'.o'o
,rh contests are waged bitterly at times, ana VINO"
,bev are over the voters bow 10 tho VIII Oh 'n' H'~
tor.,v and enter the general eiec''n W." -
feeling that they have had canu'u"'e o.,,ol
them by a set Of bosses who are U'Inh w =
the party for their own selfish ends. INC 49, .,
s,o,ea before is that now the people nave MOI. W
,,, ,or,v management and the "profes-
to, hosses have been forced 10 retire from "uS'
rcss Fully 10 understand the scope OF TINS pam
ono must thoroughly understand the h0' ''"'
orns H. While this law is not IN i'seH pe''' "'
IL capabe Of being improved yet as " s''''s' -
49, nro, STATE law Of It's kind It Is Interesting IL
reads follows: ,,o ard
49,, ~ It.urrsentatives OF the Commonwealth o.
Pennsylvania In general ass.np,S nS me same:
irhat In ali elections hereafter to be held py an?
voluntary political as deegate or executive
Committee or for the nomination OF t ,c
public once the aI pSTTos tGse or clerks or
OF any persOn--n their absence or teluS" nsD nrst
or or a fnUsf' b. some officer authorized to
"JminIsier oaths that they viii correctly ah 4,
i l,ist all frauds and unfarness and truly can
vass all votes east thereat. but II no sucn oicri
edm,inIst"r the oath or affirmation 10 the judSe
and then the judge qualified shall admlnslsr the
oath or hs be 70 the duty Of the judge such
elections entertain objections made oy any d"" or
the ground that the party so Offering 1t Is hos f re
titled vote at said SeSon or rn narsc,iS an,
money promise or reward for his vote lot any Gun
ddate that he has voted before a, lhai p,iav,
or Some other on that day In the same election
and II shall be the duty OF the judge OF election u
such objection " NOT W. oath or arma
lion that he will truly testify to all matters rca,
promised directly or indirectly any money. promls.
or reward for his vote for any candidaeor wheth'
Az a. sucb election IL shall then be the duty OF
the Judges OF election 10 nerrogate me person 50
objected to as to all matters upon hi, wn
II the person so objected to shall object TO answe
such Questions after said oath or affirmation J.
shall be the duty Of the judges OF election to re-
jcct such vote but " such oath be taken ana suci
questions be answered satisfactorily ana NOT con
tradcted successfully by the sworn testimony o.
other witnesses who may be called II snail oe th
duty Of the judges Of elections to admit the VOC
having the word sworn noted opposite the party
name on the poll list. - -. .
Sec 3. any officer OF said election or any vote'
thereof who shall violate any provision OF this act
and any person voter who snail oHcr money
reward or promise for voting thereat. and any per
son wilfully making false statement on OATH o.
affirmation at any such election shall be guilty
misdcmeanor. and on conviction shall be punished
by fine not exceeding $500. and Imprisonment no
exceeding one year. or both.
Sec. 4. Any voluntary political association o.
party In said county may. by vote of the Execu
| tive Committee thereof elect to adopt the pro
visions OF this act. or to submit the question o.. tn
adoption to a vote OF the members OF SUCH potica
| association or party, shall be duly certified ant