Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-12-22
Az to the Primaries-NO. z.

FnIToR CITIZEN-In last weeks Is
sue of your paper writer over the SIG
natnre "Justice" discusses the holding
of our primaries and objects to an early
n1imary. giving his reasons. Ihls Is
very proper as we can by this means ger
the views of others on both sides and then
all can do as they think best. Justice
writes from Evans City, we write from
the farmers stand point. In the nrsl
nlace we are not candidate, and don
expect to be. but always take an inter
est in our affairs. and it makes no per
sonaI difference TO us when the prima-
ries are held as we always attend when
able to. Our experience has been con
siderable and we know that when we
are busy sowing our oats between
showers or plowing our corn ground' or
nIanting our corn, we are generally pretty
busy. and if we have four and five can
ididates a day call on us it takes up
good deal of our time. The candidates
arc our fellow citizens, each wants TO
nre sent his claims, and we always want
10 treat them courteously, so, to give an
hour of our time to thirty or forty can
ididates during the canyass takes up
good deal of our time at season When
every hour is important.
Most of my Republican neIghbors
have the same experience and you can
ace what lot of time in the aggregate
is consumed, there is something 10
think about. Then suppose the primary
many voters will stay at home and
plant corn and let the primaries take
care of themselves, a small vote is cast
and not full expression Of the people
at the polls, then many are dissatisfied.
We in this meek O woods think the
best expression of the people can be had
by an early primary, say along about
the latter part of March or first part Of
April az that is at time before the
busy work of spring begins When the
primaries are over we can all go on WITH
our work without being interrupted
four and five times a day. that often in
terfering with our work. Then anoth-
er thing 10 consider; many of the can
didates are farmers themselves and by
having the primaries over by the first OF
April. whether the lucky ones or not
they can take up the spring work and
and lose no time. Another matter. the
people are more generally found about
the house or barn before the spring
work begins and are more easily seen by
the candidates Many other reasons
could be given along this line but we
forebear.
Let us ook at it from the stand point
of the actual figures we have before us
the official returns Of the Republican
primaries for several years and select
the years when the Court House aud
other offices are to be filed, the same as
next year. We begin with 1887
This primary in 1887 was held June 4th,
surely late enough TO satisfy Mr.. jus
tice, ." the total Republican vote cast was
4, $40 votes and in our wp-FaItvieW-
l53 votes In 1890 the republican
primary was held May 24th the total
vote was Am. our twp. cast 155 votes.
In 1893 the primary was held May 27th,
the total vote cast was 4,b12, our twp.
cast 149 votes In 1896 the year Jus
tice" complains about the primary was
held March 2Sth, the total republican
vote cast was q, 300 votes our twp, cast
211 votes. .on the average nearly 1000
more votes than any other years named.
Furthes coWment is unnecessary, let
the figures speak fer themselves. As
we said before it il no difference 20 us
personally when the primaries are held,
except that if they are over before our
spring word begins our time is not tax
en- up entertaining candidates when our
work is cFowding on. FARMER.
FairyieW Township Dec. 18th, 1898.