Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-04-10
CETY PRIMARIES AND THE
VOTER

81 Y
Attention Is called to the communi-
cation OF former Mayor. John Dep
DOW, which ii published Ii another
column. The phases Of the coming
primary contest which he discusses
arc 0f much Importance The munich
bal primary means great deal 70 our
citizens. but Ii also has an important
bearing, al Major Douw suggests
upon the primary In the county which
viii follow, and. Il may be added, upon
the general subject Of real democratic
control III this country
The public may be suaa that the
Evening Capital will continue IT, fight
Tor the observance of the true spirit
of the primary laws. and urge the
members of the party to act ~ their
intelligence and conscience lea6 them,
and not upon the dictation Of some
would DO leader. actually j petty boss
III may Be argued that the men wlles
take practical interest IN party af-
fairs have d right 70 support whom
they please and try 10 set their friends
10 do the same This Is granted, bus
ii Is nevertheless begging the cues
lion. AS individuals. Qli may take tbs
course they please. but the thing thu
party and the public want TO end r.
the old aystem Of individuals failint
10 exercise their own Judgment, AMI
allowing someone else to control them
The present situation IN Annapolis
puts the matter squareIy UP 70 thu
people. The lines viii be sharply
drawn. and it will be seen which vot
ers control their own political actions
and which are enslaYed BY SOMEONE
clae. who has assumed TO dictate e
them ii matters which they ahoult
hold as the dearest privileges p
American citizens.
This does not mean that all who
vote for one candidate or for certain
candidates are political slavea. or that
ali who vote for some other particular
candidate or candidates are indepen,
don't PATRIOTS. Nothing Of the sort cal
30 claimed, but II Is true that the yot
ers of the community will be divides
and classified as to whether they Dc
thegY own thinking and voting fol
whether they let somebody else DO II
for them
ii would seem to be ery simple
and fundamental principle that tbs
rTkht so east ballot ID any public
matter Is high privilege, and imposes
"a solemn duty Our very system
government ID based upon the aaaurnp
lion that the solemn verdict Of the ma
iorisy of our people Is more likely &
bo right that the judgement Of any ons
man OF any set of mon. This indg
mant Of the majority cannot be as
rertainad il those VINO compose II dt
not accord their judgment By votinf
according to their own convictions
II Il. then absolutely true that II,
voter who fails 10 vote as bis own
lest Judgment dictates, Is false 70 ali
Americanisln and 10 the spirit Of fret
institutions.
II may he too much TO expect q
some Anne Arundel politicians tina
thay stay out III This primary fight ans
those which are 10 follow selilshnes
and the desire 10 control affairs 70
which they have no qualifications are
IS snaralned into some Of them tina
they are not likely % take such 2 wis
and patriotic course while life Is lef
them, bat ii may not BE anliss 70 sas
10 them that common prudence wouls
dictate that they depart for the one
from old practices The people a.
learning something, and the wise poll
tician viii not try TO thwart them.
However,. the politicians may no
mean much ii this primary certainl,
viii moi mean much II the people d
their mart. No one can consistently
blame anyone else. politicians Includ
Cd. il he fails to 10 his part. The pri
nary elecon law has made Il easy fof
the people is take control ia their owI
hands, ii they don't do It, they havt
only themselves ID blame Annapolis
and Anne Arundel county will get Jas
as good government and just as goo'
men in public office as they deserve
Tor they have the means Or secursns
them iii their own hands.