The San Francisco call., 1906-10-15

delegate system authorized the party
governing committee to formulate rules
for direct primaries. The rules were
naturally enough simple, but with the
exception of a sort of Australian bal
lot adopted later, those rules have pre-
vailed with no substantial change for
nearly half century. For many years
each candidate furnished his own tick
cts. To reduce the primary expenses
dates themselves to have the names of
all candidates printed on one ballot.
with a per capita distribution of the
cost of printing. So, without legisla-
tion, or even a party rule. the Aus
tralian, ballot came into the system, the
evolution of expediency.
1t is not to be believed that the Craw-
ford County system did not have its
opponents During the first ten years
of its existence the natural enemies OF
the system bided their time. When the
county became thoroughly Republican
lied the would-be bosses showed their
heads. Strong in the belief that the
by a good, safe margin, the sure thing
politicians, kept from the crib for ten
or more lean years, advocated q return
to the convention system. They were
cautious, and prosecuted a long cam
paign of so-called education. The ques-
ton was well threshed out in the press,
but it was not until 1876 .hat the ma
chine men essayed a test of strength.
The rank and file of the Republican
party had had sixteen years In which
to tire of their fad. The question was
submitted to a popular party vote.
Cunningly enough, the would-be bosses
inje ted the consideration of a system
of direct nomination adopted In another
county, hoping so to divide the popular
strength as TO insure a plurality for
the convention system. Tho result
should have taught them the lesson
they were not quite ready to accept.
The Crawford County system received
1885 votes the Clarion system with
which it was hoped to divide the di-
rect primary sentiment). 6se; the dele
gate convention system, 5ss. The ii-
rect primary idea received the indorse-
ment of 80 per cent of the voters OF
the party.
The machine politician is q tenacious
individual In Crawford County he
made one more Aght for existence. In
1879 thu proposition OF returning 10
the delegate convention system was,
after n,,st careful campaign on tho
part of the interests. again submitted
At this second and~last test OF popular
dissatisfaction with direct primaries,
the delegate convention system received
only Ale out of total of 2061 votes
The political fad argument was for
ever set at rest In Crawford County.
No one has seriously raised 1t since.
So satisfactory were the workings OF
the direct nomination scheme In Craw-
by the Republicans of the Congressional
district of which the county was part.
The following year the Republicans OF
Meadsville, the most populous city In
Crawford County, ratified its applica-
tion to the nomination of city and ward
offices by an almost unanimous vote.
After more than forty years expert
ence with an extra-legal system, which
proved its worth at every step, the
Crawford County system has been am
plified, legalized and applied to the
cities Of the State.
The people have not tired OF the. di-
rect primary In fact. nothing but the
most extraordinary popular approval
could secure It's legalization and exten-
sion in boss-ridden Pennsylvania The
history of the Crawford County system.
pioneer of the rebellion against ma
chimes and their inevitable corruption.
answers every adverse argument pre-
sented by the boss