The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-06
A NEW PRIMARY LAW.

would be easier for corporations to con-
troll political conventions than to rule
the executive of the state. Mr.. Feig made
answer that this legislature would
probably pass g bill abolishing party
conventions by providing for nomina-
lions at the primaries direct We
| hope that some move will be made in
this direction, although the legislature
cannot afford to tarry long if it contem-
plates putting through a measure of
this Importance and novelty before it
adjourns. Few suggestions have met
with more general and cordial public
approval than this to interfere with the
ordinary cut and dried programme of
| the bosses who choose and dominate
conventions, by restoring the right Of
| initiative to the people. The plan is
to have primary elections held under
! the Australian ballot system, in which
| the voters will not choose a "slate"
| Of delegates to a county or district con-
| vention, but will nominate their candi-
! dates for office direct.
| to be elaborated with great care,
! and many other details must be
! supplied before it is practicable as
rule of action. It is obvious, for ex-
ample, that if the voters were simply
to go to the polls to express their in
dividual preferences, there would be
! such a multiplicity of candidates that
only in the rarest instances would any
one have majority. Some subsequent
test would be required to get the sense
of the people as to their preference
! between half a dozen or a dozen or a
score of different candidates for place,
especially when the office is an impor-
tant one and the area of the choice is
large. Thus, it is not easy to see at
present how a candidate for governor
could be nominated directly by the peo-
pie without the holding Of two or three,
or perhaps more, primary elections I'M
out. We are confident, nevertheless,
that these mechanical difficulties can
be overcome, and that the time has ar
rived for referring back to the people
themselves the choice Of their repre-
sentatives and other officials, which has
! been practically taken away from them
| by the growth Of the political machine.
In the evolution Of party government
| 1t has come to pass, as we are able to
see today in the older, weather. and
| h. 7
government by the people has ceased
An election in New York state Is more
| of farce now than an election in Ger
| many or Italy. There are two compact
| and powerful machines, with branches
in every county and paid workers in
every town in the state. The head Of
| ficers of these machines are in perfect
| accord with each other and play into
each others hands. While each is an
xious to win, it would Infinitely prefer,
in case Of prospective failure. to turn
| in and help the other to succeed, rather
! than that any third party, or any or
/ ganization Of the people themselves
should contest with it the spoils
|
| these machines are set in operation.
The minor agents direct the primaries
and choose delegates on whom they can
! depend. The Republican convention
| dominates it's slate and the Democratic
convention its slate. In neither case
| are the candidates those whom the peo-
pie themselves would prefer or select.
| They have then to choose between two
lists of ineligibles, and their affairs are
carried on by men who no more really
represent them than a subaltern of the
| German emperor represents the Ger
man populace.
The central fortress of this system is
| the primary convention. 1t is there
that the people are defeated and their
will is nullified. 1t has long been evil
dent that any reform in the machinery
of the government must begin with the
primary Most Of the states have passed
laws looking to this end, but none Of
them has gone far enough. The pri-
mary election, instead Of being a far
cical performance, in which from two
to dozen voters appear in each pre-
cinct and put through the ticket that
has been made up in back room some
where, ought to be a real election held
under the terms Of the state law, and
choosing, not delegates, but candidates.
A regular registration should be made,
the voters classified according to party,
and no man should be permitted to
vote, Of course, more than once. He
can elect, then, with which side he
chooses to act, but he cannot be
brought in to help create a. fictitious
majority for the other
This is the apparent and necessary
beginning Of election reform. It ia
essential to the restoration to the
people of their lost privilege of choosing
their own officers. 1t is the first step
toward breaking down the tyranny Of
party. We believe in party govern
ment, but it should be the servant and
not, as it is now, the master Of the
people. Almost anything else that a
legislature might do would be forgiven
it; and it would earn and enjoy the
lasting approval of the people, if it
should inaugurate this system of max
ing government by the people once
more possible, and correct the abuses
against which the public is finding
itself daily compelled to protest without
remedy and without hope.