The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-10-12
The Davies Primary Law.


fair System as Applied to Rural Com
munities.
The Davies Primary Law has been
discussed quite freely in Dover and Fox
croft and dissatisfaction is expressed as
to some Of its features as it will be ap-
piled to country towns. Hon. John F.
Sprague of Dover, one of the leading
Republicans of Piscataquis county, who
has had large experience in political
matters, and is familiar with the long
standing customs of rural communities,
in an interview with Bangor Daily
News reporter expressed his views as
follows:
The Davies Direct Primaries Law, So
called, undertakes in the form prescribed
! for the warrant in Section II, to fix the
hour for holding Primaries as follows:
1.-THE polls will be open at twelve
O'Clock noon, and continue open until
nine O'Clock in the afternoon, when they
will close. (To be changed from nine
O'Clock to six O'Clock in towns of three
thousand inhabitants or less.)
"Whoever conceived this plan for
holding the primaries might have had
some Interior object in view in favoring
the cities and larger towns, but it is
more probable that the author of this
clause did not fully comprehend country
life as it exists to-day in the towns in
Maine of "three thousand inhabitants or
less"
From time immemorial the political
parties in many of the smaller towns and
nj ptafi haua hold for tho
nomination of delegates to conventions
in the evening hours for the sole pur-
pose of being fair to all interests, as at
such time the farmers and laborers can
attend meetings of this kind when they
cannot do so afternoons or from "twelve
O'Clock noon" to six O'Clock in the
afternoon, without great inconvenience
and loss Of valuable time.
at seems to me that the inevitable
result of this law will be that what
ballots will be cast in this class of towns
and plantations will be largely by the
voters in the village who can spare a
few moments in the afternoon to drop
into the polling places and vote, possibly
augmented by the usual store and shop
loafers.
"The third Monday in June occurs in
an extremely busy season in nearly all of
the agricultural sections Of this State,
and besides placing an obstacle in the
way of these voters, it will also work
out nearly as unsatisfactory for men
employed in factories, quarries and mills.
Take PiscataGuis county as an eX-
ample. 1t has twenty-five towns and
plantations, and yet not single one that
has this favorable method Of voting be-
slowed upon it, viz: the right to vote
until mine o'clock in the afternoon.
''Not one voting precinct in the en-
tire county has three thousand inhabi-
tants or more"
1t will be nearly as bad for Franklin,
Oxford and Somerset counties and for
large portion of many other counties
in the eastern and central portions of the
State.
'It, Of course, accommodates the
cities and larger towns we'll enough, for
they have until nine clock in the even
ing for laborers and employees in stores,
shops and mills to vote. In my judg
ment the result will be a very light pri-
mary vote in nearly three-fourths of the
towns and plantations of the State, thus
naturally forcing political control into
the cities and large centers.
''This might have been the real design
of the sponsors of the bill, but am in
clined to be charitable and believe that
this unfair system, this piece Of pure
ly class legislation, was begotten in an
ignorance of conditions in the country
towns.
HOW IT IS REGARDED IN ANDRosCoGGIN
COUNTY.
The Lewiston correspondent of the
Bangor Commercial says:
There is beginning to be a feeling
among politicians that the direct primary
may in practice work mischief to well
laid plans and that in the hands of even
few we will say revengeful leaders,
captains Of tens here and there with
now and then captain of hundreds to
direct them, may recall an official who
may not in his official conduct have come
up to the measure of their expectations
or who may not have given them even a
part of the sum total of their reward for
having helped to elect him. 1t is more
than limited that this may lead to care
full studying of the district by Congress
man Kinds himself.
1t would, as was said this week, be
easy enough for little group of men
so spread over reasonably wide terri
tory to stir up enough opposition to the
renominating of any man to make it
J practically impossible to nominate him
because there would under such circum-
stances be a strong indication of public
distrust and want of confidence.
Said politician this week, Let us con-
slider for a moment how this nomination
of candidates in direct primary way
might work; mind, l don't say that it
will work so. Suppose man, we will
say in Windham, bright, ambitious fell
low, decides that he would like to serve
his fellow citizens in an official capacity,
and SO goes in for an office, and that hap
pens to be the object Of the ambition Of
Portland man, also good fellow.
Now, while the Windham man is picking
up hundred assurances of support, the
Portland man, member Of half dozen
of the fraternal orders and clubs, would
have him whipped before the contest had
hardly more than started IN. It will
mean, unless am greatly mistaken, in