Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1883-01-06
Correspondence.
WEBUsKA, New, Jan. 8, 1888.

Ed. TINES: In Q recent number
of your paper you made some sug-
gestions as to legislative action in
regard to primaries, and while con-
curing in those views I beg leave
to suggest, that if the Republican
party would regain and msiRtain it's
supremacy, the entire primary and
convention system must be reformed,
no halfway measures will do. The
New York convention which put up
Folger for slaughter, was but little
different from the average convention,
and might have succeeded except for
the bitter antagoLism of the stalwarts,
featherheads and honest men of the
party. The Republican party voted
itself out of power in most instances
simply because its candidates were
not the choice of the party. Itsesms
to me the only road to success 10 fer
the people, not the politicians, to Sc
lect its candidates. Bosism is dead
The glory as we'll as weakness of the
Republican party is its independence,
its love of fair play, it's hatred of
wrong, and has been proved more
than once; its members prefer to stay
at home or vote for its enemies to
electing q man of their own party
they do not approve. In this they
differ from their opponents, who al
ways 60 to the polls and vote AS they
take their whiskey straight" The
convention system is the finest ever
devised for the politician and party
manager, and will be difficult to over
throw, yet exactly why we should
select delegates at our primaries who
in their turn select candidates for US,
10 something no fellow can find out.
1t seems the dear people cannot be
trusted to vote directly until the
thing is all fixed up nicely by our
bosses in convention. The State is
to be made up after carefully adjust
ing all the nice points of locality, pill
ability, etc, etc. Never having been
inside convention have been some
what astonished after the return OF
delegates, to hear of the Wonderful
trades made to save the nomination of
candidate. Why once really
imagined that delegates we're sent to
vote the sentiments of their constitu-
snts, funny isn't 1t, But many young
men are even now as ignorant as
was. They have yet to learn of the
actual work of political caucus.
the swapping, log-rolling, you tickle
me and III tickle you," etc. They
have yet to learn that when they Sc
lect delegate and instruct him TO
use oil honorable means to secure this
nomination of Mr.. A. fer assembly
man, that the delegate is expected to
join hands with and support Mr.. B.
whom they do not want, for some
other important office. Thus there
are four persons, each with small
backing, join together and put up
ticket, which is distasteful to all good
men of the party, and is only saved
from utter defeat by the fact that both
parties "dsnce in the same kettle"
The remedy propose is very simple.
Let the candidates announce their
names, the county committee call the
primary election aud the people vote
direct; he having the greatest num-
Der of votes to be the candidate of
the party for the office named. This
10 the true primary system as prac-
ticed in many States tor county and
legislative offices. lfsny one not
politician can tell why it should not
be adopted let him speak. H. H.
John Baxter and Al Robertson,