The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-08-24
The One Cure for
Corrupt Politics:
Judge John Stewart Outlines Anew His
Plan for Reforming the Party Primaries.

cially interested citizens that their gov
ernmental affairs will not, at the very
next election be turned over again To
the delicate control of rascals ana M
competsnts. ] refer more paraSNhr'y
now 10 political management N our
large cities.
LET me briefly illustrate now the
present system works. We WIN assume
that you aud own property In GER
tain city upon which We each pay taxes
annually amounting 10 SloV, rms TAX
Is levied and expended by a number OF
men whom the citizens of that city an
naully elect to councils. They are our
trustees. or agents. They are vested
almost with absolute power In the
disposal Of tho money which we. as cit
izens and owners Of property. pay into
the city treasury us our proportion or
the municipality's expenses. How
many OF these councilmen, as q rule.
own property themselves: How many
of them are experienced In the conduct
vr business affairsr How many or them
would YOU and | trust with the eXpen-
dicure OF our personal funds" Yet we
either go to the polls and vote for such
men. every year because their names
are printed on our party ticket. ~ elsa
we don't 40 to the polls ut all. but leave
that duty to those who, with notnihs
of their own to tax, virtually control
the affairs OF those who do have to pay
taxes, say how much We Shall pay ana
manipulate the spending "i 'ha' "o"es
when paid, our nominations. unuer
the present primary elections system
are rssady-mSde for uS by men inter-
.ssted in making them 10 ut the pat
tern Of their own political necessities.
John Doe. Republican differs from
Richard Roe. Democrat. mainly In the
label.at the head Of his ticket. II We
vote for either Doe Or Roe. the chances
are five TO one that We vote for an in
cumpetent or a tool: and II we don't
vote at all. We are certain that one or
the other will win, anyhow. Ii is. as
have said. unuttemble folly to expect
-ha clean and conservative business
element +, volunteer in the work OF
cIaap,nv ,ha marty primaries. so that
,NmJn,,,nns sh,,I H. made 10 reflect
~, n,M,,r,,. will TN average business
~ ,Is,I ,.,,h,r n, oysr.
""an "S" s,6 ~, 10, h,s
W Wv i.t, ,, ,,,rn,,, 20
go, S' ~ W. ~. ia N,,. ~,
MY. ny. w "u 'Ta' 80, Ia n ii,
sutN, "nNi, ehueu' ~ ''' &c ""u Se,N
nNinoeI St 1o'..'VaI uVsses' sup,ooSseS
ana he'Shnieh haVtis IL III 'or h1M'
Two y-acs ago | proposed, in the
Philadelphia Press. a scheme for the
reformation of our primary elections
that was widely commented upon at
the time, but like all good things, soon
forgotten. l have thought that matter
over carefully. ever since, have dis
cussed II with number of clear
Drained men. and the result Is that /
today stand by my original proposition,
ard firmly believe Il is the only efrec-
tive solution. under present conditions,
applicable to the problem of political
reform. The scheme Is substantially
this: Make the primaries a recognized
part Of the election machinery. and gov
ern them by the same stringent laws
tklt now safeguard the regular cleo
tions. Do away with nominating con-
verolons by making the members Of
any party vote upon the various candi-
dates for nomina tion by that party di-
rectly at the primaries. the man secur-
ing the highest number Of votes for
any office to be certified by the p!ima-
ry officials as the regular party nomi.
nee for that office. And finally. abol-
ish the present registration OF voters
by making participation In one Of the
party primaries and Indispensable con-
d.t5on and prima face proof of qualifi-
cation for voting at the next ensuing
general election.
iii
How would this scheme work in
practice? Let US see. In the first
place, 1t would lesalize what Is today
the most important because the most
elemental, function OF government, and
shield by law a sacred duty which at
present Is grossly abused and Woe
fully neglected. When our fore-fathers
established the government, party
primary was an unheard-of thing,
therefore they made no provision for It.
Later, II came into vogue merely as a
convenient preliminary. Now, under
the sway Of party feeling and especially
through the potent working by shrewd
manipula:ors Of the party machinery,
1t has grown to be the one real decisive
agency In the determination OF rulers
and policies. so much overshadowipg
the general election which follows that