Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-09-06


reply to this communication, 20 state
how ii was aud upon whose suggs s.
tim a plan was adopted 50 that a bili
was passed by the last Legielatuf 2
securing to the people Of Maryland
fair primary election law when ne
of the bill had been aban-
doned upon the ground that II would
requira a new registration or the
voters throughout the entire State,
entailing upon the people already
overburdeued with taxes TO such an
extent as to be almost unbearable an
additional great expense and how this
expense was avoided by the adoption
of the plan suggested7 II you 90
not care to answer this | shall not
be offended. ask it as a matter
OF justice to me, as l have been ac-
cused of opposing the passage OF
the bill.
Yours truly,
GEORGE WELLS.
As Mr.. Lee would not answer my
letter, then wrote Carville d..
Benson. Esq, whom ! knew to be
thoroughly conversant with the mat
ter and enclosed him copy OF my
communication to Mr.. Lee. and re-
ceived the following reply from him
(Mr. Benscnl who certainly was
the more courteous of the two:
Baltimore. August &c, 1918.
DIR. George Wells, Annapolis, Nd.
My Dear Doctor
have your favor of the 26th in
slant, in which you request me TO
give you my recoll action of the part
you took ia the passage of the Pri-
mary Election Law at the last ses-
sion of the Legislature.
beg to advise you that my recol-
lection is very clear, and if it will be
of any service TO you, ] have no OBJ
lection to you using this letter in any
way that you may deem advisable.
The facts are as follows:
Mr.. William Lamar, who was pre-
pariug for Senator Lee his draft of
the Primary Election Bill, came to me
with a statement that you had made
the following suggestion, which would
remove all objection to the Primary
Election bill, namely To permit the
voters at the first primary in which
they participated to register their
affiliation at such primary and to pro.
vide tor the transcribing Of the reg
istration books, thereby saving the
expe nse and trouble of an entire new
registration throughout the State.
He also stated that you had request.
ed that prepare such amendment tC
the bill.
| then had a conference with you
and secured your ideas in detail, anc
prepared that portion of the Primary
Election Bill providing for the affili.
alton of voters and for the transerib,
ing of the old registration books.
This idea was entirely yours. The
only part had in il was that of do.
ihg the legal work necessary to fit il
in the Primary Bill. | might add that
until this suggestion was made BY
you, which met with the unanimous
approval OF the members of the Dem.
ocratic party of the House and Sen.
ate, there was serious objection
throughout the counties and State
to the new Primary Election Law as
proposed by Senator Lee on the
ground that it had taken ten years
to get all the Democratic voters OF
the State on the registration books
at considerable expense to the coun-
ties and at great Inconvenience and
trouble to the voters. and many of the
members of the Legislature Of both
parties were, therefore. opposed Ia
Senator Lees bill because Of the fea-
ture provi ling for an entire new reg
istration, and until your suggestion
was made, which was instantly ae.
cepted, the primary bin proposed by
Senator Lee seemed to be extremely
doubtful of passage. | cannot see
how anyone familiar with the facts
could hesitate in giving you full
credit for this idea.
With best wishes, beg to remain,
Yours very sincerely,
CARVILLE ID. BENSON.
have always loved the gallant
old Democratic Fifth district. and
thank you, my fellow citizens, for
your cordial rect ption, and you, Mr..
Pre- sident, for the kind words with
which you intr ,dueed me.
BY Authority of John r. Sullivan,
Treasurer.