The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-04-18
Counties Do Not Need It.
The Baltimore Evening News, in speak

ing of the primary election law, says
"There is much to indicate that the coun-
ties need an effective law of this sort even
more than the cities In the cities there are
excellent means quick communication, and
civic spirit is usually kept on edge. Coanlry
people outside of their immediate neigh6or-
hoods are not in such close touch, and GIVE
spirit suffers Some of the most fertile soil
for the political corruptionist is found IN the
country.
primary election methods are largely re-
sponsibe for political conditions in the coun-
ties. 1t is easy for a political wire-puller TO
manipulate country district for his candl-
date for nomination. Snap primaries or snap
caucuses furnish vestpocket delegations, and
the rest is easy. A convention IS docile, ana
the machine candidate is placed IN nomlna-
ton. The rank and file of party voters have
had nothing TO say in naming the candidate,
and they have little interest in him. 1t is not
at all surprising that his election is LETT to the
forces that secured the nomination.
The News evidently has little knowl-
edge of the counties. In fact none, if its
best Judgment is embodied in the above
extract from its issue of April IL.
There is just as quick communication in
many counties as in Baltimore and there
is far more of the ''civic spirit. Country
people are more sociable and far better &C
quainted with each other than are city
people. Even in the thickly populated
counties of Western Maryland in every
district three or four party workers can
meet and name the residence and politics
of every voter. They can tell who has
left the district since the last registration,
who has died, who have moved into the
district and name the young men who have
arrived at the voting age. There is less
opportunity for fraud in the counties than
in the cities. There is no opportunity for
repeating, because political workers at pr
maries know the voters There Is little
opportunity ''for political wire-puller to
manipulate country district. - To carry
a district the wire puller would have to
have majority of the voters with him.
The countryman is not as gullible as the
News seems to think, nor is he easily mis-
lead. We venture the assertion that the
average countryman reads more and Is bet
ter informed than the average city voter.
They usually own their homes and their
names are on the tax books For this
reason they, as whole, are far more inter
ested in good government than city voters,
about one-half of whom live in rented
houses and tenements, pay no taxes, read
little and care less about state or city gov
ernment.
The News evidently has overlooked the
fact that in all schemes Of legislative repre-
sentation, throughout the country, one
countryman is counted equal to three city
people. Why is this true if there is more
''civic spirit in the cities. The very
fact that it Is true carries contradiction
TO everything the News has said.
Every reform 90 in election and regis
tration laws since 1880 has caused an in
crease of public expenditures, and added
nothing to the purity of elections. There
has never been fraudulent vote cast at an
election in Carroll Before the Legislature
began adopting the schemes Of political
theorists an election in this county cost
about 81 600 The cost new is over
81, 600 And to saddle the cost of phi
mary elections upon the county would add
to the public burden and not result in any
public good. 1t is possible the primary
election law could be extended to Bait
more and Anne Arundel counties with
beneficial results, because Of the overflow
into them of Baltimore city people, but
nowhere else would any benefits be appar-
ent. In several counties the Democrats
use the Crawford county system of making
nominations, and in most election districts
the voters vote almost direct for the eandi
dates they favor-that Is they east ballots
for delegates who viii support their favorite
in convention.
The primary election law, as applied to
Baltimore, is not suited to the counties,
and its extension to them would simply
mean an increase in public expenditures,
with no corresponding benefit, and increase
the expenses of candidates for public posi-
ton, as they would have to pay the asses
ments placed upon delegates.