The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-12-08
URGES CHANGE IN THE method
OF Nominating Candidate at the Congressional
Conven1On-An Open Letter is Written To-
Chairman FawCelt FavOring Adoption of the
Crawford County System.

sible for any ring or clique of politi
clans or political bosses to dictate thu
congressional nominee
MY suggestion is that this may bC
accomplished by adopting the Craw.
ford county plan for making nomina.
tons Under this plan the commit.
tee should ix date for holding the
congressional primary In the entiI c
district at the same time. The name
of each candidate should be placed on
| the ballot and be voted for direct by
| all Republicans of the district, and
that candidate receiving the highest
number of votes In the entire district
should be declared the congressional
nominee. ..,
I'm proceeding by this method you
will be but following the example of
majority of the congressional dis
tricts of the United States, as this
plan is now general in the northwest,
and all over the south. where 1t has
been followed with excellent results
1t Is, coming back to first principles as
designed by the trainers of our con-
stitution, who intended that the rep
resentatives of the lower house of con-
gress should come back oace in two
years TO the people for ratification OF
their official acts. 1t was in this man
ner that they sought to give to the
people themselves the greatest de-
gree OF initiative and referendum pos
siblo in a great complex government
like ours.
his plan will also give to the rep
resentative from this district the as
surance that he is not only the choice
of the whole people, but that il he
honestly and faithfully fulfills tho
trust imposed in him, he will have
little to fear from outside and i'm
proper Influences that possibly might
prevail In delegate convention ~; 1
"a Republican nomination is .equiy-
alent TO an election in this district, |
and there Is an inslstent and increas-
ed public demand that the volers tbem-
selves shall have the final voice In |
this selection, There seems to be |
every reason why this demand should
be granted through the adoption of a |
more sane and fair method of making
the nomination than that represented |
by the old and generally unpopular del
egate system. fhere can be no objeo-
tion to q general primary unless il |
comes from those politicians who rsc-
ognize tnat through this plan they win
ose the opportunity TO dictate nomi-
nations, in which misfortune the pub
ic will hardly sympathize.
1T would appear there can be no OBJ
lection to your considering and de-
'iding this question, 1t seems that
10Th the responsibility and power is
yested in your committee. You always
tx the apportionment for the several
when delegates are to se-
ected, and by this act you necessarily
determine that a delegate convention
hall be held Therefore. II any change
8 ever made from the old and very
method. It must DO in
Iugurated by your committee.
my purpose In making this an open
etter is to bring the subject befOrel
he Republicans of the district, and II
ossible, draw forth a general express
ion to which your committee may
i've due consideration, when 1t be-
ONES necessary to make your decision.
'ery courteously.
"w. e. WELLS"