The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-06-28
OUR PRIMARY ELECTION LAW.

OUR PRIMARY ELECTION LAW.
At the primaries held on the til-
tenth instant the voters for the first
time nominated their candidates or
delegates under the primary election
law passed during the last session of
the General Assembly. The main
points in which this law differs from
its predecessors are that a series of
bylaws heretofore enacted by the
Election Supervisors are now incor-
porated in the law, and that the ex-
pense of conducting primaries is
placed on candidates instead of on
taxpayers.
The first provision is wise one
We believe by common consent it is
universally admitted that the pres
ent Board of Supervisors discreetly,
impartially and efficiently admins
ter the office they fill; but we have no
guarantee that the personnel of the
Board will always be of so high an
order, and furthermore it is more in
accord with the genius of our gov
eminent that important provisions
relating to the elective franchise
should be enacted by the Legislature
instead of an executive board.
The second provision is in our judg-
ment also wise; it simply minimizes
and reduces to a fair ratio among
the various candidates what hereto.
fore was managed, as we'll as was
possible, by the Executive Commit
tee. All candidates admit that a
nomination now costs much small
er compulsory outlay than it did be-
fore primary law existed, and that
its assistance towards producing
fair nominations is above question.
The provision allowing a voter to
leave the booth for the purpose Of
marking his ticket is not i'll accord
with the most advanced ideas o.
pure elections and good government
1t was deemed best to allow this
much elasticity in party nomina
tions, but we hope at no late day tc
see the same secrecy of the ballot in
the primary as in the general cleo
ton. This applies with equal force
to the dominant party, where the
primary nomination ordinarily de
termines the future oficeholder, and
to the colored voter, who after he
has been bought will not stay
bought. Illustrations of the latter
class on the fifteenth were equally
amusing and disgusting.
No more unfortunate error coulc
have crept into the law than the
provision that county commission
ers should be nominated by districts
The result is to frequently reduce the
commissioner to district instead O
county man when elected in Novem
Der, and to invite local contests anC
factional feuds which would not 9th
erwise be possible. Had this pro
vision of law not prevailed on the
fifteenth, the cool jud gment of voters
throughout the county would have
tempered local fights and the ticket
nominated would have been much
stronger. That from 159 to 43S
voters should name the nominees o.
a party which cast at the same time
over $500 votes is scarcely more
popular government in spirit than is
the "closed door" method ofnominat.
ing aticket which our Republican op,
position pursues.
We are satisfied that these defects
of existing law are especially con.
spicuous to our present nominees to
the next General Assembly, and that
no duty they perform next winter
will be more agreeable than to SO
amend it as to accomplish the nomi,
nation of candidates of the respective
parties in the fairest and most effect
i've way.