The citizen., 1914-02-27
ANNAPOLIS LETTER.


the nomination of the United States SEN
atorial candidates is attracting the atten-
| ton OF all of the voters of the city as
we'll as those OF the thickly populated
counties, and the sentiment is almost
! unanimous for the passage of a real pop
| ular Senatorial Primary Bill. Even in
! the smaller counties, 1t is reported that
many of the voters because OF the Justice
| and fairness Of the mass system of max
| ing nominations are inclined to support
| it. When the fight for the mass system
of nominating the United States Sena-
| torial candidates was inaugurated 1t was
| currently reported that the question only
| Interested the voters of Baltimore CITY,
and that only few OF them. compare
| lively speaking, were Interested. The
| situation, however. is now Just reversed.
! As vet no Baltimore voter has come out
openly in opposition of the mass system
| OF making United Statas Senatorial nom
nations and likewise the CITY voters have
! retrained from declaring that they favor
the old unfair county and legislative dis
| triet unit system. When the fight for
the mass system was started it was de-
! clared that all of the county people
would line up against it. but this too. is
| found to be b7seless. In the larger
counties the same demand is being made
| for the mass system that prevails through
out Baltimore.
Although it is admitted that the voters
in Baltimore City are the worse sufferers
under the County Unit System, vet
the voters IN a number of the counties
are also greatly effected by its many dis
advantages.
The responsibility for the passage or
| defeat OF the mass system of making
| United States Senatorial nomination is
absolutely in the hands of the Demo-
Gratis, not only because of the fact that
they have the control OF both the State
Senate and the House of Delegates. but
| also because the Democratic platform in
the last State campaign pledged the
voters OF the State that II the nominees
of the party were elected thev would pro-
/ vide mass system for making United
| States Senatorial nominations. When
| the delegates to the last State c Cpnven-
| ton met in Baltimore last September it
was decided to promise the people
among other things, that il the party were
successful it would enact real genuine
popular system for making United States
| Senatorial nominations 1t was realized
| by the delegates to the convention as
well as the party leaders of the counties
and the city that the convention had to
go on record concerning a United States
| Senatorial Primary Law. because of the
adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment
to the Constitution of the United States
| Neither the delegates nor the party lead
| ers would dream OF trying to put through
the State Convention a platform promise
| that the County Unit System would be
adopted by the Democrats if they were
given the control OF the Legislature 1t
was realized that such a plan is very un-
fair aud because Of its unfairnesS,
very unpopuur, and thus the party
promised a mass system for making
nominations. 1t is this specific pledge
that the Democratic majority IN the Leg
islature is called upon to redeem and it
should redeem it in the same spirit IN
which it was made by the State Conven-
ton.
The only reason that can be advanced
by the advocates of the County Unit
System is that they believe that the vote
of man in the small counties should be
equal to the votes OF half dozen men in
Baltimore City. This argument is not
enly unfair. but it is also un-Democratic.
One of the most significant features con-
nected with the compaign against the
masss system of voting in the State pri-
maries, Is that the real leaders are forces
which are invar ably hostile to the Dem
ocratic party in this State. While these
forces attempt to dominate the party and
its members who hold public Office, yet
they steadaStlv refuse to support the
Democratic party at election times. Not
only are these same anti Democratic
forces opposed 10 the main system OF
voting in the primaries. but they are also
opposed to Home Rule for Baltimore
CITY and generally all other measures
which are submitted for the general good
and welfare of Baltimore Civ.
Every lair-minded man believes that
when nominations are made by the peo-
pie direct they should be made along
the same lines that are employed in
electing the same men to Office. If the
United States Senators are to be elected
by the entire vote of the State, irrespect-
i've of the location. that they should un-
questionably be nominated by the same
system There is no doubt that the
adoption of the mass system for the
United States Senatorial primaries would
greatly strengthen the Democratic party
in Baltimore City and the more thickly
populated counties. 1t would not hurt
the party one bit in the smaller counties.
There are two Democrats in Maryland
who the people are waiting to hear from
on the United States Senatorial primary
question. They are United States SEN
ators John Walter Smith aud Blair Lee.
Although Senator Smith has refused to
discuss the question publicly his friends
are advocates of the County Unit System
for the Senatorial primaries, and this it is
generally believed that he favors the
system and later will show his hand. In
the past Senator Lee has always been an
advocate of the County Unit System and
many of his friends say that his position
has not changed. Both Senators Lee
and Smith are county men, There is no
doubt that should Senators Smith and
Lee oppose the mass system plan their
opposition would be greatly felt and thew