Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1910-05-13
MIR. Lee COnstrues Primary Law.

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State Senator Blair Lee conferred on Mon
day last on the Primary Election law pass
ed by the last Legislature. While many
features Of the act were discussed, Mr.
Stratus was principally interested to learn
if, in Senator Lees judgment, it covered
Congressional nominations. Mr.. Straus has
been requested by Chairman Murray Van
diver, of the Democratic State Central Com
mittee. to pass on this question prior to
the meeting of the committee May 20.
Senator Lee told Mr.. Straus that the bill
does not apply to Congressional elections,
and he pointed out that these nominations
had been specifically eliminated.
When the bill was originally drafted,
Senator Lee said. it provided for direct
nominations for Congressman. judges and
United States Senators, but these were
stricken out.
In support of his opinion Senator Lee
quoted from the records of the Legislature.
MY opinion is that the new law does
not apply to Congressional nominations"
said Senator Lee. THE bill as originally
drafted by me contained provisions for
Congressional, judicial and United States
Senatorial nominations by direct vote. AS
will be remembered. the bill drafted by
Mr. Straus was introduced in the House.
When it came up for consideration on the
floor of the House Delegate Cummings, of
Montgomery county, offered my bill as a
substitute for the Straus bill, and it was
adopted. At that time the bill provided
for direct nominations for Congressman,
judges and United States Senators. 1t
passed the House of Delegates in its origi-
nal form. When it reached the Senate it
was found that there was a general feel
ing among the county Senators that the
judges should not be nominated under the
direct voting SYSTEM and ii was the belief
Of number of Senators that the law
should not apply to Congressional and
United States Senatorial nominations. An
other bill eliminating these officeswa pre-
pared and passed the Senate. The House
of Delegates concurred in all the amend
ments adopted by the Senate and the bill
was signed by the Governor.
With this record Of the Legislature
cannot see how there can be any doubt
that Congressman should be nominated in
primaries under the control of the State
Central Committees or the governing COM
mittees Of all parties. The bill does not
contain any provisions for these nominal
tons. and believe it would be difficult
task to so interpret its other provisions as
to bring these nominations under them
and provide the necessary machinery
Every other nomination in the State comes
under the bill. and by reading the law it
will be seen that the full machinery for
making all other nominations is provided"
Mr. Straus is much interested in Sena-
tor Lees views, and in addition to inves-
tigating the record he proposes to thor
oushly study the entire bill before giving
any opinion.
Many politicians are Of the opinion that
the bill does not cover Congressional nomi-
nations. Democratic and Republican lead
ers wish that the Attorney General would
hold that it does. for it is pointed out that
then both the candidates and the State
Central Committees will be relieved from
the expense of the primaries, and 1t will
be borne by the taxpayers.
1t Is estimated that the primaries in
Baltimore city would cost $4,000, and
about the same amount in the counties.
If the primaries are not held under the
law, then the taxpayers will not pay any
of the expenses. Under the old method of
making Congressional nominations, it was
said the party organizations could hold
them in Baltimore at cost Of about ST.
500. Instead of voting place in every
precinct there would only be from one to
three in a ward. and then the judges and
clerks in the primaries would not be paid
as much as is provided in the law.