The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-05-14
FOR A PRIMARY ELECTION.

! Republicans will be called upon to
asse mble in primary convention to
elect delegates to a county conven-
ton for the purpose of nominating a
ticket to be voted for at the election
in November.
Now, as l understand it, the State
Central Committee has that power
delegated to them and act upon their
authority. The last few years NOM
ination on the Republican ticket
means his election and the one who
has the most time and some money
can go around and see a few of the
leading citizens in enough districts to
guarantee his nomination when they
meet in convention. If he finds he
has not enough to guarantee his NOM
ination then he must begin to trade
for enough to have the required num-
Der. In this way of trading very
often one will trade as many as six
for one and very often to some one
who is not entitled to the nomination
and when elected makes very poor
officer. The man that has the most
districts in his control is the man that
can do the most trading and can often
make the ticket to suit himself. Then
he is called Boss and his ticket a
Ring"
In many districts in the county
the majority of Republican voters
take no interests in the primar-
les and only few, often scarcely
enough to hold the primary and elect
themselves as delegates to the con-
yention and go there with as much
strength as a primary held when
there was fifty times the representa-
ton and say that was the choice of
the people.
Now what | want to get at is this:
If the Republican committee has
powe" to call such primaries and con-
ventions, why can't they call pri-
mary election, on the style and
plan of what is called the Crawford
system Crawford county, Pa, first
inaugurated it and is in force all over
the country and in fact in some of the
counties of our own State. The Dem
ocrats and Republicans in Baltimore
city held their primaries after that
fashion to nominate a candidate for
mayor and councilmen, and if it is
crnn6 thnra WIN ~ -,
rett county?
For the benefit of the readers of
The REPUBLICAN | will try to give
some idea how it works and how it is
conducted. Any one wishing to run
for an office goes before the chairman
of the committee and designates what
office he desires to enter the contest
for and pays fee of FIVE or ten dol
lars, or whatever amount the COM
mittee decides upon, and his name is
| enrolled. All the names for all the
different offices goes on one ticket I'M
der each heading. For example: Can
didates for the office of sheriff all 60
under that head, country treasurer
all go under that head, and so on
down until the whole ticket is COM
plete. One can only vote for as many
as there are offices to fill These tick
cts are all to be alike and at each
place where elections are held and
conducted as other elections are con-
Quoted, but the expenses are paid out
of the fees paid in for places on the
ticket. No one is allowed to vote only
those who are registered and qualified
to vote at the general election. The
time shall be designated when the
primary is to commence and when it
shall close, one designated to bring
the returns and results of the primary
to Oakland and there canvassed by
the State Central Committee and
those receiving the greatest number
of votes for each office shall be certi-
fled by said committee as the lawful
nominee for the Office and shall file
such certificate with the Supervisors
of Elections. However, before leav-
ing the polls at each voting place the
result shall be carefully canvassed
and certified to by all the officers con-
Quoting said primary and sworn to
by the presiding officer before a
notary public or justice of the peace
as to the correctness and fairness of
said primary. In this way all Repub-
lican voters will have an equal show
in naming the ticket to be voted for
at the general election.
Now, Mr.. Editor, maybe some one
else will have something to say along
this line of suggestion. This is free
country and every one has right to
his or her opinion on any question.
In my own humble opinion this kind
of nomination would be much fairer
than the old way, and what we all
want is fairness in everything. ex-
pect to hear from several on this SUBJ
ject. Don't be afraid to come out and
have your say. l am sure THE RE-
PUBLICAN will publish what you have
to say. l for one am in favor of such
an election.
REPUBLICAN.
FFiendsyille Nav II 1903