The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-22
Democratic Primaries.

State Senator JACOB A. CANTOR is re-
ported as having said of the present aRita-
tlon of the primary election law question
that we as Democrats are not asking for
any primary law. The only abuses are in
the Republican party. They have been
cheating each other, and they need 1t be-
cause of 30 many crimes and frauds. II
they want US to help them to stop frauds
ct their primaries we are inclined to do it.
No complaints have been made at our pri-
maries."
The reason why there are no objections
to Democratic primaries" OF present is
the obvious one that in the chief cities of
the State no primary elections as such arc
held by any Democratic organization.
Prior to the Presidential election of 1896
primary elections were held in o ma
jority of the districts, at least, though
under conditions subject to restrictions
not favorable to a free expression of
popular sentiment. 1t Is true that
In Brooklyn an elaborate system of
primaries was established, based on the
Republican plan of election district prima-
ries, and the Democratic voters In each
election district organized separately and
chose district officials. The Tammany pri-
maries, however, were continued under the
old system, the Democratic voters Of the
city being summoned to assemble at thirty
Ave voting places and there record their
preferences between the hours, usually, of
7:SO and 0. AS there are 5000 Tammany
Hall voters in each Assembly district on
an average, 1t Is obvious that only a
small fraction of them could possibly
-Ak I,-t-- 49, L-.nH -.ut~l -IAI-
and this fraction elected the ticket agreed
upon and fulfilled the mechanical require
ments of the primary election law. Since
1890 the Brooklyn Democrats have adhered
to their policy Of "open primaries" and at
the recent election held under them gave
opportunity for all electors to appear in
each Of the election districts. But primaries
in Tammany Hall have been practically
abandoned. and at the last election, held on
Tuesday, Dec. %. there Were no "con-
tests" In any of the districts; there were no
contests between candidates there was no
election" the vote being unanimous.
The Democratic party of the State has
really more to gain by the establishment
Of . primary election system, broad,
equitable, and representative, than has
the Republican party. The Republicans
have already a primary system, which
has been amended and approved from time
to time n which was thoroughly over
hauled and brought up to date by the Com.
mittee of Thirty in 1894, the year next pre-
ceding the election of LEVI p. MORTON as
Governor. Throughout the State, except
in a few isolated cases., which it is
the proclaimed intention OF the Re.
publican leaders In Albany to provide
for 10y just amendments, the primary
elections Of the Republican party are
entirely satisfactory to every one con.
cerned, though the policy of the Republi.
rams has uniformly been to allow the
largest freedom of choice In primaries con,
sistent with the preservation of the in,
tegrity of the party organization. The
Democrats, however, and especially since
the unfortunate canvass Of 1890, arc with
cut representative primaries anywhere,