Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-12-19
Fer ! Prlmary Eleetlon Law.

SUBJECT has been carefully consi1erec,
and one argument 10 favor Of the enact
ment Of a proper measure il that II is
necessary 70 the future success of she
Democratic party OF the State 1t is
conceded that much Of the dissatis
faction 10 the rank1 Of the once conf
rant Democratic nartE of Maryland,
resulting 10 succession Of Republican
victories, was due TO the arbitrary
manner in which the party machinery
was mAniI ulaied 10 keep 10 coatrol a
faction whose rule was. to say the least,
+ highly ob-cxious to o large and in
/ f.uensial section OF the party. Primary
! contests were conducted With an Also
4 lrte disregard of minority ghts. and
+ the dissatisfaction after each successive
4 election became more and NOR. ro-
nounced, until party disaster was the
+ inevitable consequence. Nov comes the
demand for lsgaiized primaries as o
measure of Democratic necessity, and
as the Legislature is Democratic in
both branches, there is a reasonable
!! probability that the demand will be
cumplisd with.
+ For several months the subject has
been practically considered By the
Crescent Democratic Club. a leading
and influential organization of Balti-
moe. ard bill has been prepared By
a COMMITTEES OF the club and endorsed
by the Democratic Precinct Organi-
zatiou Of the ctr. The salient points
Of the PROPOSED enactment have been
4 summarized as follows:
/. Party registration and preventing
any voter from voting at primary
election unless he has declared at the
zine ct his registration that he is an
adherent Of the political party at whose
which provision the indiscriminate
voting Of the adherents OF one political
party shall be prevented at the primary
election OF any other party.
.. All primary elections to lie held
! under tbs provisions Of the law, by
which all who participate therein in
any capacity shall be subject to the
penalties therein prescribed for any
violation OF its provisions.
B. The expenses of all primary elections
to be raid in the came manner as those
for tine general elections, by which il
prevented the necessity, or excuse, Of
taxing candidates before the pr maries
for the expeUsts thereof, thus affordipg
: an opportunity for the competent and
: worthy to become candidates without
the nftines oppressive burdens of a tar
] arbitrarily levied by the Iarty bosses
r for TIE privilege of becoming a candi
date.
4. All primary elections to be held BY
precincts, without grouping them, b.
:. which all those voting at a giyer
!, polling place will be within the knowI
edge and acquaintance of the officers
conducting the election, thus prevent
: ing fraudulent voting and serving tn,
: convenience OF the voters.
! D. The right of candidate at primar.
elections to select, and have appointed
! judges and clerks Of his own selection
thus preventing the arbitrary imposition
upon candidates of incompetent ans
hostile judges and clerks.
- 6. A primary election inspector a
3 each polling place, appointed by th
:: Buard OF Supervisors of Elearions from
y the party holding the primary election
Z whose duties ars supervisory, who shal
o make cath of the correctness of tn
81 election and take any ipfractions there
70 Of before the grand Jury, thus assurin
IS an honest and far election.
J. Z. All ballots. to be of uniform size
IS color and appearance, TO be furnshe
" through the Board of Election super
3 yisoIs, ard bearing fac-simile of th
D. signature of the president thereof
q. otherwise when cast they shall not b
~ counted
" 3. The right of each and every cand
~ dale or group OF candidates reprasense
d On a ticket 10 have challenger {
voters OF their own selection at eac
nt polling place during the conduct of III
election. ard the right of said cha
8, lenger TO enter tine voting buoth sn
watch the counting of the ballots, th
;. tabulating of the returns and the sigr
he ing OF the sane.
he This bill, it will be observed, con
.ts prises an elaborate system of registri
SO tion for tho purpose of holding primal
"a. elections, as we'll as the legalIzing I
ia the latter. and placing them under ii
n. protection of the law of tie State. Or
Of object of the party registration is
d. prevent the voters Of one party votiI
,d at the primaries of another party,
ed requiring the voter to declare at IL
n time of his registration which polite
va party he is an adhersnt of. The la
ity further emphasizes this point by +
is quiring that only persons const
se. tutionally qualified to vote at the ne
ID. election, and personally applying +
registration, ahall be registered
qualified voters.
H. While this method may secure Il
10 desired end, We do not consider it
Sc effective as the method provided by Il
ID Primary Election law for New Cast
an county,. in this State. Here, only tho
m' persons who become registered duril
ng the first three days of registration
ent the general election may vote at t
nai primary election of any political part
rty From these registrations the yotel
MS books for primary elections are pI
ca pared, and only those whose names a
al ON these books may vote at prima