Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-05-07
Communicated.
The Direct System of Nominating
Candidates.

Messrs. Itditors:-
Naturally, the presentation to the
democracy of this city and county in
a period OF political calm, of the
propriety of making nominations
under the direct system of voting, has
caused criticism. The overwhelming
opinion, as far as it has reached the
writer, has been in favor of its adop-
ton. A few objections have been
raised. These are
First--The expense of the system.
Second-The system will give a
leader too much power by enabling
him to concentrate his forces upon
particular candidates while scattered
votes for others renders opposition to
his plans futile.
The expense is triting-a few dol
lars, from three to FIVE for tickets
as each single subscription swells the
aggregate sum which is used.to print
one ticket with the names of all the
candidates upon it, and each candi-
date paying a proportionate amount.
As to the second objection, il any
leader can get the party to concentrate
upon his candidate in popular vote
then that is the party's nominee; but,
ii is apprehended that no one man
is strong enough, with the most pow
erful army of retainers, to overcome
the peoples will If he is, then there
is an end Of democracy, and the cause
of good government is hopeless. / be-
lieve, however, that the democracy of
this county, when the opportunity is
afforded them, will show that they
still have the independence, the in
tegrity and the intellience to choose
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for Office without threat. bride, in
timidation or coercion from any
source.
The real reason is, l believe, not
that the objectors To the direct system
of nominating think that a leader
can concentrate his forces, but it is
because they have, already, in their
hearts, at this early day, their plans
formulated, not only to nominate
certain men for the particular offices
to be filed this fall, but that they
have their stratagems invented by
which they expect to accomplish their
purposes. The will of the people
would stand in the way of their con-
summation.
Already the politicians of the two
factions are at work like beavers TO
carry the four districts that will make
the nominations under the theory
that when nominated, amidst the dis
ruption of the party, in the language
of one of the members of the two
factions, amy democratic ticket will
be elected this fall" Fatal delusion.
The way To avoid these internecine
fights that leave deep wounds and
ever-running sores, is to appeal TO the
party at large for its untrammelled
decision. NO man defeated by the
people in free, open, fair fight for
nomination can reasonably complain.
IL he does, dissent to the decision,
he will have the echo of his own
voice only for his comfort and conso-
lation.
There is one reason given why the
democracy of this county cannot have
the direct method of nomination. 1t
is in the nature of a plea in bar of
proceedings. 1t has been declared to
the writer on more than one occasion
during the course of the publication
of these letters, ''the politicians won't
let you have it, The people are
the only ones capable of making a
proper answer to this plea. The time
has arrived for them to answer it by
action.
ELIHU 5. RILEY.