The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-15
PRIMARY PROPOSITION
OTHER MEMBERS or THE COM.
 NITTEE DISCUSS IT.
Chairman John v.. Smith Strongly Opposes Any Sort of
 Primary.

The following additional replies have been received from State Democratic Ex- ecutiye Committeeman on the primary plan By The Brminshani ,Age-Herald: To the Editor of The Age-Herald: Al | comparatively. new conner to Ala nafna l w,uld not set myself up as a oo9mntist on any public question:: but wish to say that I, like many other new settters in the State, am in full accord with your contention for a State primary by which the people may make known their preference for aIl officials, from Governor to Constable.
 isfAction that Senator Morgan and other public men, and nearly all the newspa pers n the State have come out frankly in Ieyor Of the plan. and that 1t is opposed sniy by the professional politicians as a CT on In Denmark" and I am sure that those who Know me will vouch for my ss- sertton that have the interests of Ala bama deeply at heart. In fact feel the same love for the State as If I had been ,orr here instead of in. the Rocky Moun- tains. For hold to the view expressed ny President Roosevelt at Charleston. that every good American has the right to claim each State of the Union as his home. An American moving from one State to another does not come as an alien. If he is an honest man and a Eood citizen he has right to expect to enjoy precisely the same political rights
 
 of his adoption as in that of his birth.
 Ring-rule In any of its forms has ten dency to render this impossible. and ring rule fs practically out of the question where proper system of primaries is in vogue. That system brings out the bet ter elements of the citizenship, and leads to the participation in politics of all those quiet and unobtrusive men who cannot in public affairs where gangs of "strik- CTS control party deliberations. and brazen fraud and corruption are rampant
 IT this republic is to be preserved the average sturdy citiZen must become more of factor in its affairs. Each State that adopts the primary. in it's true and un- adulterated sense. will assist materially In bringing about that condition. It is not material that any particular larty snouia ssetn continue con forever in power in any honest men of State should be in charge rather than selfish and unprincipled ma chine. Only by making the State more honest can the nation become so.
 I have many quotations from The Age Herald. and from other ncwspa pers of this State. which plainly assert that the common practice of stuffing ballot boxes in certain sections has had such demor- regard any kind of crooked work as en- tirely legitimate in order to secure their ends. One kind ofsfraud. winked at nat uratly leads to others. The primary. once Iuity eStdDnsneds might prove the Salva- tion of hundreds of the men who have been thus debauched
 As some of your correspondents SUE Eest there might. be Justification of re- turns In some of the counties even with all the safeguards of the primary; but it Is pretty safe proposition that when the people are once fully aroused to their in- ferests they will find means to secure honest returns. With the primary those means will be easily within their reach Under the present system. it is generally Admitted. they are not.
 If the people are to rule the country they should insist on the primary cleo ton. and keen it free from machine in. fuences. If they prefer machine rule let them continue to bow their neck. | under the wheels of that memorable jug gernaut.
 Yours for free election and an hon est count"
 J. A. MacKnight.