The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-08-22
PRINCIPLES Of THE "
STATE REPUBLICANS
Platform Adopted at Baltimore Con-
yentiOn Held August 14th.
FAVORs PRIMARY ELECTION LAW
Advocates Tore Liberal Appropria-
lions For SchooIs-DemandS Re-
peal of Wilson Ballot Law-Disap-
proves DISTINGUISHING Clause.

liz NCpuDllSdlS vi ~hdI ldluJ
in convention assembled, submit
herewith a statement of the princi-
pies and policies upon which they
ask the support of the people at
the coming election.
We declare that the supreme is
sue in this campaign is the main
tenance, unimpaired, of the right
of hescitizens to vote and the free
and unfettered opportunity for the
exercise of that right.
Weidemand the repeal of recent
Democratic legislation, and, in
particular, the so-called Wilson
Ballot Law, by which the excel
lent election law Of 1896 has been
mutilated and shorn of its best
features, and through which cleo
tions in some portions of the state
have come to be determined, not so
much by the will of the people as
by the manifold and familiar de-
vices of the" trick ballot, " through
which the fraud or mistakes of
election officers can overturn, as
they have overturned, the clearly
and honestly expressed will of the
people by their ballots as deposit
ed at the polls.
We favor the enactment of a
Primary Election Law applicable
to the whole state, and adequate
provision, through law, for the
right of bona fde state candidates
and candidates for the United
States Senate, to submit their
claims to the people at such pri-
mary elections, but, we denounce
as false pretense and a fraud,
any so-callad primary for United
States Senators OF the kind pro-
vided for in the recent Democratic
convention in this state, which is
nothing more, in substance, than
an Intellectual mandate to members
of the legislature from one or more
counties or Legislative districts to
give their votes "for the candidate
for United States Senator who
shall have received the greatest
number of votes cast at such pri-
mary election in such county or
district" and make no semblance
of a provision for the nomination
of Senators through the majority
of the voters of any political party
of this state.
We favor the adoption of Cor
rupt Practice Act in accordance
with our declaration of several
past conventions of the part.
We are in favor of any effective
provision of legislation to prevent
bribery at election primaries; but
we are not prepared to admit that
the work Of publication of the
ballot can safely be expected
through legislation directed only
against bribery, at the hands of
any political party whose candi-
dates are.often selected byagencies
that represents the domination of
influences whose chief and primary
stock in trade in politics has been,
and will be, the open and NOTORIOUS
use of money to affect the action
of corrupt and venal voters, direct
ly and indirectly, at the primaries
and at the polls on the day of cleo
ton.
We believe the proposed call for
a Constitutional Convention to be
unwise, inexpedient and fraught
with dangers and possibilities of
evil, and we appeal to the people
of the state to vote against said
proposed call.
We disapprove and condemn the
re-expressed determination of the
Democratic party to submit, at
the earliest possible time, " another
proposition in the form of dis
franchising constitutional amend
ment to the people of this state.
We do not believe that the peo-
pie of this state can be deceived
by the fulsome promise to frame
the said amendment as to guard
the objections to the last measure,
known as.the Poe amendment with
not less apparent earnestness, con-