New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-05
Vio-Violet
Lundborgs-
has the delicate
and natural fragrance
Of Spring Violets
p1rRE PRIMARIES FOR ALL.
WARNER MILLER.s VIEWS ON PROPOSED
LEGISLATION.

~, THINKS IT SHOULD COVER RURAL DISTRICTS
A WE'LL A. REPUBLICAN DE
MANp FOR THE REFORM
rx.senator Warner Miller was asked yester-
aav 10 give his views In regard to proposed
urinary legislation and its effects upon the
Marty throughout the State He said that he
,.vored the enactment Of such a law as would
mt the primaries Of all political parties under
,ba control and protection OF the state as tnor-
ouehly as were the elections of public ohcers
,,asr the present election law Nothing short
=, this he said would satisfy the masses OF the
Marty throughout the state The law should be
obligatory and not permissive. and should cover
every election district in the State without re-
card to whether II in city or In village
The present election laws covered the entire
State and were equal throughout the length
and breadth Of the State in their application ana
protection against offenders and In the punish
noent OF violators Of the law, and this shouid
he the case in regard to all primary matters.
Any law which was partial in Its application
.rd wa. made permissive would never work
any permanent reform
He said he was greatly surprised at the action
taken by certain persons in the State VINO were
calling for primary reform laws. He had assumed
from tne peSlHHliS tins "h"NS'N'
proposed and enacted would cover the entire
state and would be obligatory. Halfway meas
ures in a reform Of this kind were worse than
no measure at all The present system or hoid-
ing primaries or caucuses in the country dis
tr1cts led 10 as much fraud and sharp practice
as prevailed in any city Of the State Oppor-
.unities for sharp practice in the country were
even greater than they in the cities. be-
cause even at present there no attempt at
any enrorn ent and substantially everybody who
presented himself at a primary was permitted
70 vote In many parts OF the State Demo
Gratis or floating voters in large numbers were
run in and voted at the primaries without let
or hindrance. and it was no uncommon thlng
for voters TO he imported into the town from
an adjoining town or even from an adjoining
county. These things were done openly IN sew
eral counties in the State last fall ana there
existed undoubted proof of II. II was COM
mon practice in the rural districts. where the
voters were scattered over a considerable ter
ritory. to call snap caucus: that Is, notice
was posted up on some barn, horseshed or cross
road where only few voters of the town saw
It before the hour for the caucus arrived ard
then the caucus was called and organized
and the business carried through. the meeting
adjournng within three minutes. This. of
course, was zone 10 prevent the peOpIo VI TIC
surrounding neighborhood from having OPP
portunity to vote
Since the provisions Of the proposed law
have been made known" continued Mr. Miller.
Il have seen a number of the leading Repub-
leans over the State. who, one and all, protest
ssainst law which is not equal in its pro-
visions and does not apply 10 the protection OF
every voter in the State. 1t is Of much more
importance 10 the interests Of the party that
such law should apply to the rural districts
than the cities. for it is TO the rural counties
In the State that look for all Of our MAORI
ios.5. Practically it is Of little Importance
whether a candidate for the Assembly. or the
Senate or for Congress is nominated by fair
primaries In districts which hopeessly
Democratic as most of them in great cities.
especially in the city of NewYork: but our ma
jorities in the Assembly. in the Senate and in
the delegations in Congress come from the coun-
try districts where nomination is assumed TO
he equivalent to an election Now II there Is to be
party reform it should be had in the districts
which are strongly Republican, so that the
voters there should have something to say IN
the nominations for the Assembly. the Senate
or Congress and also for the local offices OF the
counties.
Il understand that people who pushing
this mea sure for the cities contend That the coun-
try districts have made no demand, and thdt
their representatives do not want it, II the
misrepresent their constituencies. and they VIII
hear from them when the election comes. Inc
pepublicans in the country districts are scat
tered over a large territory: they have no means
Of concentration. of making their wants known,
but on The part Of the masses or those people
there is a desire that any primary law passed
should be applicab bic TO every election district IN
The State There is not nearly as much dll-
rcultv in making the law apply 10 the rural
districts as 10 the city districts, and II any such
claim is made II shows a lack Of frankness or a
lack Of knowledge. =,
And why should such law be opposed! is
there any Republican in the State OF New YORK,
belonging to the organization or not. VINO VIII
undertake TO say that the primaries ought not
r. be protected by the law. and honestly man
aged and that every voter should not have the
right ~ cast his ballot at the primary as ne secs
fiji and have il honestly counted? II so. let MN
stand up make such a statement and be
counted and then appeal to the people or MS
district by going before them for election.
If the Republican party is to be harmoni-
Gus and win victories hereafter. IL can only be
law which shall give every voter in the state
his rights and the protection Of the laws. We
have seen within the last few years that II was
possible for a so-called organization through
corruption and trickery 10 control primaries,
caucuses county and State conventions; but
beyond that their power does not go Under
our election law every man exercise the
right Of franchise secretly. so that one can
know how he votes and the result has been
that IN many cases where nominations have
been procured by trickery and fraud the peo-
pie have defeated them at the polls, and this
condition Of affairs will not diminish. but in
crease The Republicans will be hopelessly
beaten in the STATE unless the power Of nomi-
mating candidates is restored 70 the rank and
Lilo