Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-03-27
Communicated.
The Primary Contest Within The
Democracy of Anne Arun-
AL

Annapolis, Md. March &c, 1907.
Mr.. Editor The article upon the
present primary contest within the
democracy OF Anne Arundel county.
published in last Wednesdays Capt.
tai, was interesting reading and con-
tanned facts for consideration and food
for reflection.
The facts for consideration are that,
with ali its past history Of the baneful
results OF such contests. the democracy
OF this county has already begun one
Of those fierce fractional fights that
leave II in the end sore, wounded and
divided before the common enemy.
The " hole OF the party is expected to
arralgn itself into two wings with no
other shibboleth of battle than that a
democrat belongs 10 one faction or the
other-that factions title being the
surname of its most prominent leader.
who, in the event of his side being
| successful, substantially picks out a
| ticket himself and presents IL 70 the
public as the democratic ticket.
| Usually, the process is for the leader
i OF the successful faction to take a
| quartette or more OF his local chief
| tains from several of the districts,
retire 10 an upper room, arrange the
| nominations and then come down 10
the convention with ticket for 1t to
endorse that even those who made the
denominations are now satisfied with
/ them. How much less could the
party be expected TO be pleased with
/ the work with which the very work
men who executed it, are displeased?
| The matter for reflection is this
j is there not better wayg The direct
| voting system of nominating is GER
lainlv the more democratic way. Tho
| people at large desire a.. ia q CAM as
| for public sentiment made in limited
| degree on the subject, the writer has
| found that here most of the rank and
| file OF the party prefer the direct vote
method OF selecting candidates.
| There is no difficulty in the way,
| but every advantage in its favor. We
| have legalized voting and legalized
/ primaries. The democratic county
/ executive committee and the demo-
cratic state central committee, acting
in unison, could readily add, by
| resolution, the direct system, and
those who have the highest votes in
| the county, save and exc apting the
| county commissioners, would be the
| party's nominees. The commissioners,
selected in their several districts, could
be chosen by their respective districts
| party's vote.
| The party then, by its own vote,
| having made the selections, could
not have the same complaints to make
| against the nominees as it has when
delegates and leaders choose a ticket.
The nominees would not then be the
choice of a clique, but the party
itself, and thus il would lessen, ifnot
destroy, dissension.
| Conventions for years in Anne
| Arundel, under the delegate system,
have given the greatest dissatisfac-
ton. They have not only produced
| disruption i'm the party, but have of.
ten accomplished the defeat of the
| democratic ticket ia n county strong
| ly democratic.
| Public sentiment, throughout the
country, is moulding for direct nomi-
| nations by the several parties, and
| becoming besides, so fixed, that laws
have been made in some sections COM
polling political parties to resort
| to the system. The democracy of
| Anne Arundel would receive the bap-
tism of regeneration in virtue and
loyalty To its own principles were il
to adopt, for the approaching prima-
ries, the direct voting system of max
| ing nominations.
ELIHU S. RILEY.