The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-05-07
rn1nAnIEs SUR THE PEOPLE.

Again q roar against the primary Is
going MP from the convenfion-loving
politfeians. They say q costs the cam
dfaakes too much to run, the ticket Is
too long and It Is killing work on the
inspectors 10 count the votes, and the
people do not turn out to vote. II all
these allegations were unquaIffiedly
true. they would be little in COMPARE
SON with the evils OF conventions. but
they are all greatly exaggregated-
The Star never thought the rights
Of the candidates amounted to much In
compaffbon with the rights of the peo-
pie. but II cannot see that the former
are SO dreadfuliy aggrieved- Certain
II fs that this campaign has not lacked
for good men. We have had before US
and among US Tramme1l. Gibbons, NIL
ton and Watson. Sparkman and Phil
Hips, L'Engle, Beacham, Martin and
Toorser. beside our bunch OF county
candidates. All managed to raise the
wherewithal to pay their assessments
and expenses. and all are fair to mid
ding men, and some are very good
men indeed. We doubt that you can
find better men. morally or intellect
ually. in the nation than some OF those
who have faced the people OF Florida
against any one of them that he has
been able to pay his way.
All other things being equal. a, mod
erately we'll to do man will make a bet
ter public servant than a pauper. A
man who has reached a candidates
age without having achieved decent
amount OF business success Is not. as a
rule. a good man to intrust with the
peoples affairs. All that can be said
against a poor man in the primary can
be said with greater force in the con-
ventfon Men are nominated in con-
ventions more by influences than by
principles, and with rare exceptions the
impecunious individuals put in office
by them are tools.
In Marion county. nothing like rich
man stood for an office. But all were
able to stand their moderate expenses.
The writer has seen county conven-
tons in this and other states nominate
tickets He never saw one pick out as
good set OF men as have been chosen
in the recent primary. And he has
seen conventions of both parties NOM
mate men who wouldn't dare go into
q primary in this county.
Under the primary plan, the expenses
are nearly all legitimate. The money
is mostly spent for advertising ex-
penses and travelling expenses. Be
tween the primary and the secret bal
lot. the two greatest pools of political
corruption-bribery and drunkenness
have had their watcrmarks greatly
lowered, and some day soon they may
be entirely drained.
Elections will not be. entirely clean
until they can be conducted without
any expense. But candidate had bet
ter be spending his money on adver-
Using. railway tickets and hotel bills
than buying delegates.
The Star admits that all the people
do not vote in the primaries, and the
long tickets make counting the votes
inconvenient. But 1t can't agree with
the pro-convention paper that howled
j. last week because 1t took thirty-si,
hours in some precincts to count tn,
votes, and complained this week be-
ceause half the voters didn't go to tht
polls. Counting the ballots can be ex
pedited by multiplying the boxes a
the polling places-there are two boxe!
in Ocala.. but there could be four o.
even six. As for the number of voters
who came to the polls, we can't pleas
the conventionaries as long as Their,
are too many to be corralled in on
small room. At~least $4,000 votes wer,
cast. and we are tolerably sure that il
more than SO per cent of the registered
vote of the state. We have known al
parties in the state of Florida to cas-
less than $1,000 votes in general cleo
ton.
The primary system isn't perfect blu
1t can be improved. The convention
system is rotten; it can only be buried
AS far as Florida is concerned, 1T i
buried, and the reactionaries are vast
ing their time trying to dig up tn