Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-05-24
LETTER 70 EDITOR

/ lafe some plan which will enable the
] party ID n0nBinate candidate for
/ Governor without the unpleasant and
dangerous nRcessliY Of 4 primary con
test Mr. Owens Who hns been one Of
tlae ablest and most loyal workers IN
the party. like many others who pre-
| fer party success 10 the gratificatioF
81 any personal ambition. IL convinced
itiaat the most dangerous obstacle 10
success In the campaign for state ON
GERS this gear, Ii the prospect 0f .
isfrenuone and acrimonious contest in
1.-The primas1es for the nomination for
/ Governor. IN view of this very evil
dent fact, and III order 10 obviate tle.
OWL. MIR Ovens suggests that q mass
convention be called to meet In Balti
more not later than July 9TH to take
up the question. He further suggests
that this convention should consist Of
not more than fifty representative
democrats from each county and legis.
latlye district, the delegates To come.
Ias the representatives OF the people
themselves. Such i convention would
| bc thoroughly representative Of the
whole party throughout the state, and
would Be s0 large as 70 prevent any
one man. on SCI of men. from control.
| ling its deliberations or influencing In
any unfair way its choice II would
also represent all factions as well as
ali loyal interests and would be thor
Ougialy democratic in liberal sense.
This convention would thoroughly dis
cuss and consider the condition Of the
party, and the merits of aH available
candidates. and then select man for
the nomination FOR Governor. md pos.
sibly for other state ofEicers. and rec
omYaend him to the people, pledging
| him the united support os the conyen:
ltiun. A man thus chosen, Air Owens
believes. would be nominated without
any opposition whateyer, and thus all
She evils incident To hard fought
primary would be obviated. and the
party would be able to 80 into the
| campaign thoroughly united and there
would be no doubt Of the result Mr.
awens ii convinced. after years Of
lose and careful observation, that q
very large part of the troubles which
have afflicted the purity for several
years, has bean due lo the primary
lights. and II su.h fights can be avoid
III. most 81 the troubles win disap.
pear. He believes IN fae primary sys.
an, but not III the wax II has been.
operated, really To the detrimept Of
he best interests Of the parts and Tbs
gublic welfare. Mr.. Ovens says
There are ID the entire state over
40 600 affiliated democrats The 20.
i'll nuanber of tIeanot rats voting In the
Mst congressional election was to be.
,xact. sf,Ag5. That ID, about 81 per
onl only of the afiiliated democrats
totsd Three republican congressman
Sere elected, and they were not elect
d by democratic votes, because the
jguras show that no successful repub.
lean candidate received votes in ex-
,oss II party utilization, ana no SUI
,essfuI republican candidate receives
HIS PARTY vote. The nearest approaelfs
rom the figures, 10 the slightest dem.
,Cratic assistance I'd the republican
candidate is shown In the 9th district.
These figures are referred to FOR the
purpose of comparison with the res
,ults Of The recent Mayofalty election.
Ioward Bryant. the successful demo,
rat on the ticket, received 53,Tg2
otcs, while Mr.. Broaning. tho success
Ill republican. got $3.50.
The republican alIiIiated vDtc IS 49,.
800
The democratic animated yole IL ~
1885,
In tile counties. In the COngressioT
ii election, the democrats simply kept
Ii llnnae IN election day. Ia the CITY
the last election, some kept ct home.
,ut i lnrge number voted the ropub
lean ticket Why Many reasons
ave been assigned Some say the
,eoplc are dissatisfied with the Fed
srai Administration No one was dis
atisflea with the Federal Administra
ion In November 1918, when the con
;lcsstonai election took place SO we.
must look elsewhere for the trouble.
the elect ms, previous 70 those q
ss1S. show great decrease IN the.
lunit1cr or democrats. who voted, in
proportion TO afliiation. Lin the counra
les, the voter adheres more strictly
d party ties than III the city and few
re willing Ii do more in protest
1gainst his party than simply not
fotc. This IS specially tTne ii South
srn Maryland. and tho Eastern Shore.
these sections particularly, there
ire local reasons that almost prohibit
democrat voting the republican
ickct, hut think tho real reason for
his falling Of Is that the people know
her have not been consulted n the.
natter of the selection Of their party
andidates That while the Primary
election Law, and the Corrupt Prac,
ices Act were PASSED 70 enable the
,eople 10 resume party control, still
the operation Of the primary the
,eople have only he'd the choice be
ween candidates named or endorsed
W the politicians, and not the chance
make their own candidate In