Wichita eagle., 1888-04-18
BEST PRIMARY METHODS IN ELEC
TLONS.
To the Editor of the Eagle:

! To the Editor OF the Eagle:
notice in your columns of this morn
ing that state paper has credited our
county with adopting the primary sys-
tenn of nominating candidates in the
Republican party. l was, additionally.
well pleased to see you endorse that
method, INDEPENDENTLY to me-you
regretted that the plan was not In vogue
at present in this county.
There is no elective system that is not
liable to abuse. But it has become man
ifest to many Republicans with whom l
have conversed that the convention
system is more liable to abuse than the
primary, in the limits of a county, at
least. No one will deny that
it is far easier for one
or two designing individuals to so over
county and put up a'scheme for
stocked convention than If the
whole of the party voters had the chance
to turn out in each ward or township
and individually vote for the candidate
for party combination that suited them.
In the primary elections all of those
little promises and varied influences
which are so potent and costly in the
convention would be largely avoided or
neutraliZed. The candidates would not
then have to pay hall bills, hotel and
hack fares as they now have to do To
their sorrow. Neither would there be
that side show caucus of the successful
candidate. But primary election would
be the result Of party vote before
candidature and it would. as no
other system could, give each
candidate that party sanction that would
entitle him to fully expect 1t again on
election day. In. this way the party
candidate would enter the campaign
with the moral support of party popu-
larlty and need only to canvass against
the enemy. In such case he need not
heed the appeals or threats of the boOdler
as he now has to do under the conven-
ton system. 1t would require much
more moral courage to threaten the
candidate endorsed directly by the party
than to threaten one chosen by q con-
ventiOn, but too often more self con-
stituted than representative.
Practically the Republicans of each
ward or township could as
semble on call of the county
central committee between stated hours
on a certain date, and there elect their
polling officers who would challenge,
list and receive the votes as cast, make
out duplicate copies of the result and
certify them under oath. One should
be sent to the central committees chair
man for publication and one retained for
verification. After ascertaining the ma
jorities received by the candidate for
each office the chairman and secretary
of the central committee should notify
such candidates and publish the result
at once.
| am, so far as | am able to see
into the merits of the question, in
favor of trying the primary system
to nominate county officers next
fall. l believe it promises the
best results, especially in securing the
services of meritorious and able party
men. 1t is fair and simple and ought to
satisfy the old and the new element of
the party i'll this populous county. l
hope that the Republicans of the county
will think on the question and discuss it.
If it Is worth adopting we can as well
Try it this year as any. | should like to
have such Republicans as endorse or OBJ
ject to the primary method to do SO in
short notices through the EAGLE as that
is good way Of getting a test of public |
opinion. w. L. HUTCHINSON.