Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-04-25
communicated
THg DIRECT SYSTEM OF NOMI-
WAITING CANDIDATES.
Ldffnrs -

afessrs. Editors
rhe delegate method OF selecting
..1didates for political parties has
"a its day Of usefulness; but it is
--.a8 because new conditions have
..gsso in party politics. When the del
go. svstem performed its functions
o-.ariv. 1T was in that era which our
l-,e.r. knew. when 1.-THE Office sought
I nan and not ''the man the
.a.ee as it is at present.
Ta chose days, " hose golden, glimmer-
~, snneet / lust remember, but whose
'.f.pIid Iustre has often been recount
J., me- bv those VIII contributed to
.iaries. or were living witnesses
r,t.. system, a few men who were
....-asfed in party welfare attended
.l. ,,rimarfes. Sometimes not more
Nan three voters would be present-a a
lily sufficient number to make the
.,.t,org necessary to accomplish the
..lfeefs OF the meeting. These motions
,eot,ld be that Mr.. A be president I;
tbar Air. 3 be secretary and that the
resident of this meeting select five
daierates 10 represent the district in
tbe county convention.
when tho convention met the dele
.,stes began their work. They selected
fbe most superior men in the party
f,r nominees, for then the public
,rouId not tolerate others, but selec-
fion was not the end of the matter.
Tho leading people whose position
and attainments made them pillars of
.trsnoth TO their party bad To be be-
,ought with great earnestness to be-
come their party's nominee. They
were averse to taking upon them
salyss the duties OF public Office.
without them there was party defeat.
So that the delegate system was then
a function of power for the delegates
had 10 be men of character TO be
able TO choose, and when chosen, to
induce men of honor, intelligence and
ipdependence TO become their party's
standard bearers.
Bv their fruits is the sublimest
fest az any system. Let us examine
what the old method produced. These
are some of the men who, in that il
lustrious epoch when superiority was
necessary qualification of caudi-
dates for public Office, represented
Anne Arundel in the halls of legisla-
tiun and in the arenas Of Constitu
tional conventions John NJ. ;.
Causin. James Kent, Mareen NJ. Du-
vail. Robert franklin, Gabriel III.
Duvall, George Wells, Sr., Thomas
franklin, Alexander B. Hagner, Ben
iamin Carr, William III. Dorsey, Ben
iamin C.. NeiT, John III. Waters, Will
iam H. Tuck, James 5. Owens, John
$. Sellman, Edward Hammond, Sprigg
Harwood, Nicholas Brewer, oliver
Miller. James Murray, Thomas Donald
son. Alexander Franklin. Charles II.
stewart Nicholas b. Worthington,A An
drew a. Lynch. John Johnson, John
Walton, y. q. Kilbourne, b. Allein
Welch, ST., and Richard G.. McCub-
bin Against this proud array, place
with q few, too few, indeed, honor
able exceptions. the nominees TO the
Legislature in this epoch, of conven-
jions by the delegate system.
When the delegate method executed
tho rreemen's will, honorable and
high-mnded mon were sought to ac-
ctpl and did Gil the offices of legis-
lat0rs aud OF public servants in other
official posi- ms. Now the meanest
may aspire 4ld, unfor, unately, often
secure honorable place, chiefly be
cause they are small practical politi-
Jiaus who aid the more prominent
ones. and who own them when they
are In office. The eye, hand and the
votes direct of the people in nominal
ing will very largely correct this evil.
When the two parties have nominated
their candidates, it is then too late
ID becomes then. too frequently, a
choice between the devil and the deep
sga.
ELIHU :. RILEY.