The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-01-14
Thursday, Jan. Ia, 1897.
No Rules for the Primary.

mittee at its meeting saturday In
this place failed to adopt specific
rules for the government of the pri.
mary election. This is an omission
to perform a most responsible duty.
We are led to believe that this was
due to al oversight. A resolution
was adopted that none but True
Blue Republicans dare vote. Now
the question arises, what is a true
blue republican? 1t still leaves the
question open to the individual
opinions of the election board Of
each district and the i%nterpreta-
ton of the name. true blue repub-
lican" will be as widely different in
the various districts Of the county as
were the qualifications Of a voter a
year ago. 1t is not specific and this
makes it Objectionable and most SO.
%riously Objectionable.
1t is no secret that in some dis.
tricts last year full-hedged demo-
Gratis were allowed to vote on the
slight pretense of promising to vote
for one candidate at the fall election.
Others promised without being
sworn that they would vote the en-
tire republican ticket in the fall, 9th.
ers simply asserted that they had
done so at the preceding election
and there were others who were
sworn to the various conditions
above mentioned according to the
Interpretation of the election board
from each district. 1t has been sug.
gested also that in some cases, the
voter was required to wear by ev
erythlng that was high aud holy
that he mad voted for every, republi-
can from Abe. Lincoln down to the
present time and would continue to
do so until the mortal coil should be
ushered into eternity, and even on
the other shores this obligation
should require them to vote the
whole republican ticket. While, of
course, the picture represented. ia la
the last sentence is overdrawn, it
will give q fair idea of the possibili-
ty of such widely different construc-
tions placed upon the eligibility of
the voter.
Under these conditions it renders
it SO easy. on a close vote, for a de
feated candidate to say he was de
feated by democratic votes and may
even give him the grounds for cou
testing the result of such a primary
election. The party disturbance of
1894 certainly is not forgotten and
should serve as a lesson to direct
the committee to avoid such I'M
pleasant results. What is a true
blue republican," Out of II dozen
no two persons gave the same an
swer.
The Republican Standing Commit
tee of Union county has adopted q
set Of rules that are worthy of ex-
amrle. They are clean, business.
like aud specific No one will mis-
take the purport SO them. They are
clear and are worthy of considera. !
ton and we believe, with one or
two changes to suit existing con-
ditions, of adoption.
Senator Brown, of Westmoreland
County, is reported to be preparing
a new primary election law for pre-
sentation to the Legislature. Every
citizen who desires integrity in our
elections will gladly welcome every
practical effort to secure honest
methods at all primary as well as
general elections. There is no ques-
ton of wider Importance to all peo-
pie.
Senator Brown alleges that he
was Cntuttu ouU VI u H"OLlluuUlOu ny
a false count and the corrupt use of
money. The primary election law
of 1881 will cover this. That act re-
quires all election officers to be
sworn to a faithful performance of
their duty and makes it a INSIDE
meanor for any to act without being
so worm. 1t is also made punish
able for any such election officer to
perpetrate any fraud whatsoever,
particularly naming false counting,
defacing or destroying ballots, add
ing ballots to the poll, or in any wise
stufiiing the ballot box.
What we need above everything
else is a plain, specific rule clearly
stating the eligibility of u voter.
We appeal to the intelligence of the
Standing Committee and ask them
to consider this question and by all
means To act specificallv on the elio-