The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-04-26
The Primaries.


beer called to meet on Saturday, May 4.
This is an unusually early date. Had the
call been made for April Ist, the joke
would have been apparent to all. 1t may
not be so obvious, but nevertheless as real,
with the date month later.
This snap time call takes the public at
a disadvantage, routs and stampedes
them before they are fully awake.
No time is allowed for an exchange Of
thought or suggestion of whom people
would prefer to fill the several offices
They are hurried to the primaries to vote
before an exchange of views can he had.
Public sentiment has not crystalized OH
any candidate. The ringsters in the
meantime can have their slate made
mp in advance-that is, supposing
there were any ring existed in the
Democratic party of Cecil county,
which everybody knows does not;
aud supposing Estates" were ever made
in Cecil county, which everybody knows
never have been-and when the unln
structed, uniformed, and only halt
awake delegates meet at Elkton, the ring
consults them all, inquiries how things
look in their district, who are their can
didates, and how their good health has
been and so on.
If any outside aspirants appear on the
horizon, the ring has the information it
wants, and measures are Immediately
taken to curb their ambition.
Under these snap Judgment called pri-
,naries by the County Committee, which
catch the people unprepared, the ring, if
there is one-and fortunately there is
none in Cecil, except the Republican
Ting-McCullough, Smith and Haines-
have seen to it in advance that majority
of the well-meaning but innocent dele
gates has been secured that can easily be
manipulated, and its slate put through,
generally without scratch.
Such condition in the Democratic
party has existed long, long ago. and may
in the future again exist; immaculate
leaders cannot always be expected if
politicians are left to the freedom of their
own will. The Republican party. every
Democrat knows, is just literally rotten
with this ring or machine rule, and only
the virtue of its leaders saves the Demo-
cratic party. from similar fate.
The present early call for the primaries,
emphasizes the necessity for a primary
election law similar in most respects to
the new general election law.
Candidates should be the choice of the
people and not the choice of ring of
politicians under the skirts of district
delegates. Candidates should be placed
OH the primary tickets by petition so that
the people at the primaries would be the
choosers of their candidates.
The chief judges from the nine Dis
tricts would meet at Elkton, count the
ballots and declare the candidates having
the highest number of votes the party's
nominees, and their names be placed on
the election ticket.
The less delegated power standing be-
tween the people and the governing
power the better. Direct vote of the
people is the only safety for popular gov
eminent, and it should begin at the
primaries. The corporation ills which
the people groan under are all the result
of delegated power of the people placed
in the hands of the few.
Next November the rs 900 people who
constitute the body polite of Cecil county
will delegate every atom of their political
rights and power to four men, who could
if they would sell them out to any cor
Poration that saw an opportunity to rob
the people out of millions of property by
virtue of franchise turned over to them
by the legislature for consideration. In
thousands of cases such outrages have
been committed by delegated power.
The people should insist next fall that
their legislative candidates pledge them
selves to the passage of primary cleo
tion law. 1t is not party question and
both parties should be made to under
stand that it is the popular desire.