The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-03-15
A Primary Election Law.

than new election or ballot law, as nee
essary IS that surely 10, in order to have
intelligence in place of ignorance choose
our law makers and other officers. Under
the present custom of holding primary
elections the people are virtually disfran-
chised, and will continue to be under any
election law that can be framed while
our present primary election practice is
maintained, and it will be continued
unless the legislature enacts primary
election law.
That the present primary method of
forming tickets Is virtual disfranchise-
ment of the voters will be apparent to any
person who looks into it.
The first point to be considered is that
the two dominant parties are dominated
by professional politicians, or in common
parlance bosses who have formed organ
izations familiarly known as the "ma-
chine" Against these organizations tue
people have little or no chance to choose
candidates whom they prefer. The
candidates who are the choice of conven-
tions that are the result of primary cleo
tons as now held, would rarely be the
free choice of the voters. The machine
commences its work before the day of the
primary is named. A::ticket for primary
delegates is selected quietly for every
district. The machines lieutenants i'll
the districts are ordered to get out the
vote they can control in the interest of
their ticket. Promises are given to the
'pie"-men, who are numerous in every
district, of piece of road, or some of
the offices, great or small, or rather great
and small.
These expectants hustle around and
get out their friends to vote for the ring
ticket. or course such concentrated
movement is almost certain to succeed.
The disorganized mass of voters have no
special candidates in mind and either are
persuaded to vote the ring ticket, or
probably for hastily got up opposition
ticket which generally falls short of poll
ing majority of the votes cast. In some
of the districts the ring may be beaten,
but when the primary delegates meet in
convention the machine has majority of
the whole and succeeds In nominating the
ticket it has selected In advance.
The lucky candidates are mostly clever,
honest, well-meaning men, but their
weakness consists in the machines ability
to manage and control them and secure
their support when necessary in promot-
ing future schemes
Iflegislators, the machine sways them
in the legislature. They may not be in.
fuenced by brides, but are easily misled.
If the corporations want bill passed or a
bill killed they go to the bosses and plank
down their money. The bosses having
the members under obligations for their
election are generally able to sway their
votes by persuasion or a share of the
Doodle. They have seen to it at the pri-
mary and in the county or city conven-
ton that majority of such members have
been chosen as they can control.
With this kind of a game constantly
played on them the people seldom send
such men to the legislature or elect such
officers to fill other positions as they
would select or elect had they free
choice.
How can such abuses be prevented /?
We can conceive of but one way. Give
the people free hand. or a chance for a
free hand at the primary elections. Let
them chose the candidates they desire TO
hold the offices, in place of choosing del
egates to select and place in nomination
candidates and form a ticket for them.
Let the voters nominate their candi-
dates by direct vote, and not by proxy as
under the present method. 1t is the
purest democracy which brings the peo-
pie closest to supreme power. Our gov
eminent in all its branches is only half.
way democracy.
In order to place the power i'll the
hands of the mass Of the voters, which is
now virtually controlled by bosses or pro-
fessional politicians, the legislature should
provide primary election law, differing
but little from the general election law,
requiring both parties, or all parties, to
vote al the primaries for such men as
they preferred to fill the several Offices.
Candidates should be placed in nomi-
nation by publishing their names in the
county newspapers, and the ballots pre-
pared as the regular election ballot is pre-
pared, and the election of candidates for
all parties held on the same day When
the judges of the primaries met at the
county seat and counted the ballots the
candidates having the highest number of
votes of the several parties would be the
nominees ofthe parties, the free choice of
the people and not the choice of political
machines.
Under such system we venture TO say
that the fewest number who fill the offices
under the present boss corruption sys-
tenn, would ever fill the Offices by direct
vote of the people. The voters could
then vote their party ticket without COZ
sciencious qualms. knowing that the
most competent and Trustworthy citizens,
the free choice of their party, had been
placed on the ballot.
The extra session should pass such
law as companion piece to the new cleo
ton law they have met to enact.