Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-07
ISSUE IN MARYLAND.
Democratic Leaders Silent on
DisfranChisement.
TALK ANY OTHER SUBJECT
Say It's Too Early to Take Up the
Question
OREGON PLAN FINDS FAVOR
Crothers and Warfield Point Out Ad-
vantages Of Selecting Senators
by Direct Primaries.
OREGON PLAN FINDS FAVOR
Special Correspondence OF The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
BALTIMORE, Md. February 6. 1909.
The democratic machine leaders. from
Gov. Crothers down to the ward henchmen
are just now engaged In pulling the wool
over the eyes of the public, to obscure, if
possible, the paramount issue of the com
ing fall campaign. Ask any machine
leader what are the chances for passing
the Acknowledgement amendment and he
will al once counter" by asking another
question Ask any machine leader what
chance Baltimore has of securing in
creased representation in the general as
sembly and he will forthwith proceed to
discuss the state of the weather. Gov
= Erothers. when pinned down b. The Star
correspondent for an expression of opin-
ion regarding the amendment. declined
positively TO. discuss the measure. saying
that II was ''sCo early to take up that
question
During the week the politicians, big
and small. have been using their lung
power discussing the Oregon plan of
selecting United States senator's. Gov.
CrotherS. when asked if he intended to
bring the Oregon plan to the attention
of the next legislature. replied that the
people must decide.
1T is a thing for the people to think
over and discuss" said the governor.
If a strong sentiment develops for such
law as the people OF Oregon have |
believe the people of Maryland will find
way to get it.
Favored by Crothers.
II prefer the Oregon law to the one
the people of this state have. and the
arguments in favor of 1t are about the
same as these in favor of direct nomina-
tons rather than those by conventions.
1t puts the question squarely up to the
people to decide and takes it out of
the domain of political manipulation as
far as 1t Is possible to do so. When
public matters are left with the people
they feel the responsibility. This, In
my opinion. is the surest way of promot-
ing good government. for when the people
are uniformed. indifferent and apathetic
the government is sure to partake of
some, II not all. of these characteristics
The conduct of public affairs is generally
good III proportion to the interest the
people take in IL.
The power OF political manipulators
would. l think, be curtailed by the Oregon
plan. but IT would, in my opinion. rather
enhance than diminish the influence OF
political leadership. for with the atten-
ton of the people concentrated OH the
nomination of senator's, the reasons ad-
Nanced for the selection of one man rather
than another would have to be sound.
The charge Is often made In politics
that selhshness on the part of one man
or another was the real influencing factor |
There is no doubt an element OF selfish |
ness In all of US, and this trait when dis
played by politicians is not because they
are politicians, but because they are pretty
much like the rest of men. With nomf- |
nations made under the Oregon plan the
accusation that seltishness played its MARI
would be robbed of all its force, for all
the people would have a choice in the Sc
lection.
Views of Warfsld.
Former Gov. Warfield who is the man
who first advocated direct primaries for
United States senators in Maryland is
heartily in favor of the Oregon plan, de-
claring that it would be "a great i'm
provement over the scheme now in force
in Maryland
nder the lew applied in Oregon"
said Mr. Warfeld, each party makes its
nominations for the federal Senate Just
as opposing candidates for governor are
named, and the voters express their pref
erence at the polls regardless of political
utilization. My friends tell me that If
such plan had been in vogue two years
ago | would now b. a United States sen
ator-eleCt from Maryland.
However this may be, the primaries
FOR senatorial candidates in this state
are absolutely in the hands of the rival
political machines, and those manipulat-
ing them have It in their power to favor
the choice Of the clique The people have
no redress. as the primary Is held on the
same day as the general eie etion, which
should not be the case. The election of
Chamberlain. a democrat, in Oregon bv
a legislature the majority of whose mem
bers were republicans. is quite remark
able on It's face. but these legislators
were, after all, only obeying the voice OF
the people as directly expressed. II any
other course had been pursued they would
have been made to suffer for it. AS the
state went republican, many who yotad
republican legislative ticket voted for
democratic senatorial candidate Such a
thing could not happen in Maryland under
the law we have.
Father of Direct Primary.
You will perhaps recall" continued
Mr.. Warfeld. that 1t was / who offered
the resolution in the state convention
providing for the election of federal SEN
atorS by direct vote. The resolution
was amended to conform to the county
and legislative district idea which Is now
SO much criticised. My resolution was
call for an expression of will on a
popular basis. l did not at the time paw
SO much attention to the proposed
change, for my attention was centered
on the principle involved in the idea o"
taking the selection OF senator's our of
the hands Of the Legislators as far as it
was pos ible to do so
Now my resolution. changed and
enacted INTO law. makes the party ma
chime absolute. Its hirelings can either
add TO or subtract from the vote of any
man II may iii. Much of this
sort O. thing fell to my fate in
the senatorial contest, two years ago |
have been assured by men who know
that ] got a plurality OF the vote in
every ward In Baltimore city. The man
who handles the cash mas the whip hand
In a Maryland primary, for he can
favor whom he chooses by being liberal
with friends and depriVing those on
posed 10 him of money, even for Ieciti-
mae expenses.
AS far money politics are concern
ed. concluded Mr. Warfield. Il take
some pride in the fact that I was the
first in Maryland to voluntarily
publish account of campaign ex-
DenSCS
Politically Speaking.
from the Louisville Courier Journal