Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-08-19

The primary elections are the foun
tain head Of popular politics, and every
citizen ought 70 make it his business t
attend and elect the delegates. tn,
abstinence OF no many citizens from tn,
primaries makes il possible for candi
dstes for county O6ice to get In thei
fine work aud pack the convention
with delegates elected by themselves
With large popular vote at the pri
mariee this would be done away with
and the conventions would Oe homes
conventions, assembled for the purpose
0feelecting the best men for the offices
instead Of an assembly of delegates
pledged in advance to vote only for the
man Of their choice. These packed con.
ventions will disrupt u party quicker
than anything and yet we always notice
that the kickers, boilers and sorehe ads
OF oil political parties are invariably the
very tDen who never think Of turning
out 1t . primary to elect good delegates.
The object of participating in pri.
mariee IL TO help the party make good
nominations by electing good deleg ates.
We have for years held the belief that
. citizen who will not take the trouble
TO attend the primaries of his party
ought to be DISTINGUISHED for that entire
campaign. We further believe that del.
egates have no right to pledge them
selves to favor any particular candidate
before convention meets. The object OF
primary elections is TO help the party
make good nominations by electing
good and unpledged delegates. The
object Of the convention 10 TO select the
best.man from the number placed 10
nomination for the position. But this
cannot b. done If delegates are laying
pipes and pulling wires in the interest
OF one particular candidate. In that
case. and 1t 10 usually the case, the
names Of unpopular candidates are
thrust upon the ticket, and the voter
must either take his medicine or bolt
his party. This is all the fault OF alb
stinonce from the primaries, and as we
have before noted, the kickers and bolt.
ers are always and invariably the very
men who never attend their primary
elections.
Az to the rulings sometimes made by
county committees that no one shall
vote ut the primaries who does not
pledge himself to vote at the election
Tor al the nominees, 1t Is unauthorized
and unreasonable. The only qualifica.
ton Tor voting in primaries is that the
pOseOA - hu xVOu IhiJu u ucmOoT OF tile
party, desiring it's success and intending
70 vote foI its nominees unless there
shall be good reasons for not doing so.
The object of participstin in primaries
10 TO help the party make good nomins-
nations and not to bind man to vote
for bad ones. The man with pronounced
party affiliations will not scratch the
regular ticket without good and suf-
icient reason. These matters can safe.
y be left to the conscience of the voter. !
Next to the ties which bind men to each |
other on the field of battle none are
stronger OF more enduring than the ties
OF political utilization. The corrupt ele-
ment, whose vote for, say, legislative
NOMINEES on the other ticket, can be had
Tor drink Of whisky or the promise of
once. or fsvors to come, cannot be call.
90 loyal party man. and when their
Identity 10 discovered they should be
read out OF the party and ostracised as
other corrupt men are ostracised. These
views have no particular application,
they are presented for the information
and guidance of both political parties,
and In strict adherence thereto will be
|ound the safest and surest means of
securing good government to the people
IN the one hand aud maintaining party
discipline on the other.