The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-05-01


new rules held a final meeting at the
court house on Saturday. Chairman Rob
bins called the meeting to order at 1875
and the committee appointed to prepare 9
set of rules on the Crawford County sys-
TEN presented report containing the
rules as printed in The News last week.
John G. Horner offered the following;
Resolved, that for the purpose of discus
sion, the present rules, the separate con-
vention system, and the Crawford County
system, be considered before the conven-
| ton; that after discussion the vote be
taken as customary under the present
rules, the delegates designating their
choice of rules; that the system adopted
be then considered section by section.
Mr. Rooney offered an amendment that
the voting be by ballot.
Ex-senator Trick hoped the amendment
would not prevail. He thought the con-
vention was composed of gentlemen who
knew what their localities desired and
that they were willing to cast the vote in
accordance with those desires even if it be
against their own preferment.
Samuel W. Beldon opposed the amend
ment on the ground that the method
would consume too much time.
Col. Sloan advocated the secret ballot
and quoted the fact that secret voting pre-
vailed in all societies.
The amendment was lost and the origin
al motion was adopted.
ha
could not have some enlightenment on the
contents of the report offered at the first
convention. In response Prosecutor At
kinson mentioned the changes contem-
plated in that report.
Discussion then began on the systems
offered. John G.. Horner was the first
speaker. In his opinion canvass of the
county would show a large majority in
favor of the Crawford County system.
He was afraid of the results of the sepa-
rate convention. 1t is hard work now in
some townships to get one set of dele
gates, and it would be harder to get more
than one set to go to a convention on the
same day. In case of contest over more
than a single office, the interest would
centre entirely on the most important po-
sition, and the others would be neglected
Camden county had been quoted as a To-
cality where the separate convention sys-
tenn works satisfactorily, but it had been
adopting the Crawford County system.
Pennsylvania has it in thirty counties,
ard there is no denying the fact that
where it is in vogue the people have di-
rect voice. Considerable stress has been
laid upon the point that the proposed
system will open the way for illegal vot-
ing and fraud, but Mr. Horner claimed
those two evils will prevail in any case.
Expense had also been somewhat of a
bugbear, but there could be an assess
ment to cover all legitimate expenses. If
a candidate wanted to go in deeper and
uselessly and illegally spend money, he
could do it under any system.
Mr. Roney thought it would be hard to
overcome the matter of fraud, and in
stanced cases in Pennsylvania where there
have been several arrests and indictments
under the election laws. He admitted
that it is good idea to try and get the
people to take an interest in the prima-
ries, but he did not believe the Crawford
County system would do it.
Col Sloan thought the discussion was
getting way off the track. There will be
crime under any system, but fraud has
been and can be stopped. If the people
stay from the primaries they show their
willingness to forfeit their political privi-
leges, and no system could be devised to
make them attend. This convention was
assembled to adopt some method that will
be for the advantage of the party and to
protect the people. The question. to dis
cuss, therefore, was which system will
reach that end. In his opinion the Craw-
ford County system would come nearer to
it than any other.
Samuel W. Beldon doubted whether the
results at the Crawford county caucuses
would show the unbiased opinion of the
voters. The Crawford county system
would mean two elections. This would
cause lively canvass and candidate
would get every avail able VOTE by any
means and at any cost. The large town
ships would override the smaller ones,
and candidate with money would have
things his own way. In short, under
Crawford county rules, no poor man need
apply for nomination. In response to the
question of who would be entitled to vote
at the primaries, Mr.. Beldon said a man
could announce himself Republican five
minutes before casting his ballot He
would be entitled to have his ballot count
ed, and he could not be apprehended for
illegal voting The proposed system
would be one grand piece of machinery
and would be available only to the man
with barrel and with the willingness to
tap it.
Ex-senator Parry thought the argu-
ments against the Crawford county sys-
tenn equally applicable to the present
method Are delegate meetings and the
actions at conventions matters of purity?
Nobody could dispute the fact that as con-
ventions are now held candidates are at
the mercy of delegates regardless of in
structions or desires of those they are sent
to represent. This convention must de-
eide whether the people are to have di-
rect voice in making up ticket The
Crawford county system will come nearer
to it than any other, provided it is attend
ed with secret ballot. If it is adopted
he believed there would be law passed
governing primaries. He believed the
people could be trusted not only to make
a ticket but to protect it afterwards. All
this talk about candidates buying their
nominations was bosh. 1t would not re-
quire very long glance backward to
show that purchased nominations have
been set aside by the people at the polls.
The people have more than once given
evidence that they are not always asleep
and that they cannot be hoodwinked all
the time.
A vote was then taken and resulted: two
conventions, 81; Crawford County system
81. The chair therefore declared that the
two convention system should be con-
sidered the choice of the convention and
would be discussed section by section.
The first amendment was to section Q, and
was offered by Samuel W. Beldon. 1t
was as follows: seNo person shall be elig-