Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-05-13


sssnvene for the purpose of passing
seminary election law. There has been
amsch discussion on the subject Of pri-
'ntsaries and the following explanation
e0F the new Maryland law by the au-
thcr OF the bal will be of interest at
iFTis time
state Senator Blair Lee, of Mont
sEwznery county author OF the Mary
asrd Statewide primary law under
@Talich an State officers will be nomi-
ssg.xed this year, gave an interview, in
~sach he defended the law and an
rswer some CT the criticisms which
saave been made against it.
Senator Lee believes that the law
win work successfully In discuss
ang it, he said:
THE object Of the primary election
Zaw is to give the voters within pc
1sHd manage party affairs, including
S7ie nomination of candidates. The
Tower can thus move from the people
'szly~ard rather than from a central
wed body down. Leadership is not
ATTACKED by such system but 1t
Narst be responsive and faithful to
STE general interest. The same safe
glaards are placed around the voting
md the counting in these party cleo
Mems that were formerly provided
only for the general elections.
Tn amy important constructive leg
lslatiol the hill sought to be enacted
must be adapted so as to avoid i'm
movable obstacles which are found
70 exist.
BY avoiding such obstacles the leg
ssiation is made as direct and eff
E'5ctive as the nature of the oppCrtu-
Fa'aty permits, but, on the other hand,
II the measure is allowed actually to
Eun against any such obstacle,
wreck occurs and progressive ideas
gre lost or painfully retarded. Many
grod people have progressive ideas
SIey cannot put into practical opera
ton.
= Says Law Has Stood Strain.
This law. having stood the strain
sf heated city primary contest and be-
Nng, moreover, as to the counties,
based upon previous experience, es-
recially in Montgomery county,
should appeal to the sympathy of be-
nevolent and horeful dspos'ti
~In view Of this apparently favor
able beginning, critics of the law may
g.ossibly be largely from either the
impractical good people or the prac-
Eical bad people; and possibly some
II the critics are just tired, cussing,
= Id sailors in from a stormy voyage
where the heavy sea that distressed
Uhem was really the force that brought
zhem safely ashore.
Why Delegates Are Continued.
Estate officers, heretofore. in this
State have been nominated by dele
sSates chosen according to long party
usage upon the basis of Legislative
district and county units. To have
insisted upon change by law of
this basis in order to yield TO the
demand OF Baltimore city for ilcreas- /
sed repres entation in party manage I
anent would have caused the defeat
M any primary election law, as evil
-1enced by the action of that Legisla- |
erre upon the proposed constitution
al mendmelt, providing for repre-
sepGation in the Legislature accord
ing to population For this control
ling reason, the question of the basis
d od representation was left where it
always had been, namely in the hands
=. N the governing bodies Of the respec-
e live political parties.
Solution For Complicated Ballot.
However desirable it might have
been to provide a uniform primary
ballot for use throughout the State,
an unavoidable obstacle was present
ID by the lnsistence of the city dele
cation on retaining the complicated
ballot used in the city In the primary
elections, which If extended, would
n effect have applied a Wilson law
form Of ballot to- the party primaries
q throughout the State Ii was as i'm
Iossible to secure the adoption of such
"a ballot fer the whole State by the
~ Legislature as it was to pass a CORE
spending or equivalent constitutional
ssxmendment for an educational quail
yWs.Jion without a grandfather's
-.Cianse attached. The only practical
ssoguiion of this difficulty was to con-
cetfe 20 the city the complicated form
Of baIlot it demanded and to make an
a4auuest provision to meet the county
requirements.
Explains Envelope System,
The envelope system of voting has
Oeen misunderstood and misrepresent-
cd 1t is true as stated, that the
voters are furnished with official bal
cots Ia advance of the primaries. AMI
lsach may mark CT have marked for
MIN any number of them, any or all
OF which he can take into the polling
place On Offering to vote he is hand
n an af1oia1 anvalOnn and als0 n