The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1919-02-12
WINCHESTER DEEMS
Primary LAW USELESS
Prevents Mary Suitable And Desir-
able Men From Becoming Candi-
dates-Has Not Worked Out as
Sponsors Thought it Would.

able Men From Becoming Sanul-
dates-Has Not Worked Out as
Sponsors Thought it Would.
Baltim ore, Nd, Feb. 10.--The un-
popularity of the present primary
election law is more and more mani
fest every day, and citizens of all
sorts and conditions exhibit a grow
ing disgust with it's operations in the
past and its possible workings in the
future That it has not been effec-
tive in securing a better class of men.
as candidates is admitted by all, even
by many of those who were most en-
phatic in their efforts to secure its
enactment by the General Assembly
A very large majority of the county
people, irrespective of party, were
not enthusiastic in favor of it, and
it was really passed to please small,
but very persistent and clamorous
faction of reformers and up-lifters,
mostly residents of Baltimore CITY,,
who at that time were influential
with the city newspapers. At the
present time there is very little
doubt but that a large proportion OF
the members of both parties would
be glad to get rid of it, and go back
to the old convention system, which:
was instrumental in securing for the
public service a class of men in most
respects superior to those who have
been nominated under the primary
system now established by law. The;
great expense attendant upon pri-
mary election deters many citizens.
who would make excellent candl-
dates, and excellent officials, if cleo:
ted, and this is especially the case,
with regard to the membership zof
the General Assembly. No man
likes to go through two strenuous
campaigns, and very few men OF the
right calibre are willing to do sos
The fact that a very few citizens IN
proportion to the whole number
take part in primary contests, Is lar
gely due to the personality of the
men who enter their names, most a.
whom are glaringly unfit for the pa
sitions they seek Citizens and tax
payers who are really interested n
the public welfare and in the char
acter Of the men who should A6
the offices, often refuse to vote be-;
cause they can see no real cn0lq 34
the list of those who are before t14]
people as candidates, and heno
large number of inferior men IL
nominated and later on elected
A movement is on foot in so1n4 81
the counties to remedy this evil 1N~
present year The proposi1tq
being nade-toF call conv5nrf0ns
representative citizens, men chosen
by districts in each county, to meet.
in county conventions in the old way
and to select, carefully, a list OF can
didates to be entered at the pri-
maries. the members of the conven-
ton and those who sent them there
to pledge themselves to use all their
influence to secure the nomination
of the men placed on the list. The
proposition is to make these conyen-
tions large enough andtso thoroughly
representative of the whole COM
munity that there would be no doubt
as. to the result. The candidates
would thus be nominated without
serious contest, and would be reliev-
ed of all trouble in the primaries.
and thus be enabled to enter into the
real campaign for election unham-
pered and untrammeled by the bad
feelings, which invariably results
from a strenuous primary fight. In
Dorchester, particularly, is the above
proposition meeting with favor, and
many of the leading Democrats OF
that county are openly advocating
it's adoption. Democrats aud RepuD-
licans of other counties who have
been in Baltimore recently have ex-
pressed their approval of the plan'
and it is possible that it may be very
generally adopted throughout the
State.
1t is two months until the city pr1-
maries take place, to be accurate the
date is April 1st, and the city cleo
ton will take place on May 9Th. And
yet, there is every present indication
that a red-hot contest is going on.
The politicians and party workers OF
both factions are as busy as they us>
ually are a week before the election,
and there is no telling how things
will look later on. The leaders on
both sides are wise and very cap
able men in their line, and are pre-
pared to meet each other at every
point. Up to the present time there
has been no mud-slinging. but ind1-
cations are not wanting that before
long the mud will be in the air, and
| the fur will fly. A grim determlna-
ton to win is clearly apparent in
| both camps, and money does not
seem to be any object on either SIDE.
| Preparations that are being made in
dicate that this will be the hardest,
longest. and most expensive primary
contest ever seen in Baltimore, and
great rival corporation and other fl
nancial interests, are lined up for
battle on both sides.
| PAUL WINCHESTER.
| An increased production of rice is