The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-03-16


nation too far from the voter. Every
transfer of delegated power weakens
responsibility, until finally, by the
time it is lodged in the hands OF a
nominating convention, the sense OF
responsib;lity has been lost in transit.
unless it has been ticketed through Dy
instructions from it's original source.
And even then all along the journey.
from the primary TO the convention
+he confidential agents of the machine
are introducing delegates to the mys-
teries of gold brick ahd three caro-
political schemes.
"The convention under the most Ia
voraSle conditions is anything but a
deliberative body. It's work is hurried
and business necessarily transacted in
confusion. There is great excitement:
Fl is the storm center Of political
TEMPEST. There are rumors and roor-
hacks. challenges and denials. There
is no time for investigation and no OPP
portunity to distinguish the real issue
from the false issue. Charges are
withheld and sprung in the conven-
ton purposely to avoid disproval and
mislead delegates. And the dark horse
is ever in reserve, waiting favorable
opportunity to take the convention IN
awares. These are the most favorable
conditions which we can hope to have
prevail in and ABOUT the convention
under the present system. Add to this
all the corruption, which comes with
machine domination of a convention,
and you have political disaster and po-
litcial crime as result.
eff after long suffering and misrep-
resentation the people by tremendous
and united effort could succeed in de-
chine, the opportunity offered by the
caucus and convention plan would SIM
ply restore the old or build up new
machine in it's place.
A Primary Election the Remedy.
mo no! Beginning the work in tne
state, put aside the caucus and the
convention They have been and will
continue to be prostituted to the serv-
ice of corrupt organization. They an
swer no purpose further than to give
respectable form to political robbery.
Abolish the caucus and the convention.
Go back to the first principles OF dem
ocracy. Go back to the people. Ssb-
i stitute for both the caucus and the
convention a primary election-held
under all the sanctions of law which
prevail at the general elections
where the citizen may cast his vote
directly to nominate the candidate of
the party with which he afTiliates, and
| have it canyas6cd and ratlI: neQ fta IS
he cast it.
Provide means of placing the can
didates in nomination before the pri-
mary, and forestall the creation of a
new caucus system, back of the pri-
mary election.
EtDrOvido ho1Jot fo,. bo yoriY,1 wv
election and print on it the names of
all candidates for nomination who
have previously filed preliminary nom
inatiOn papers with a designated Off
cia1
Provide that no candidate for nom
ination shall be entitled to have his
name printed on the primary election
ticket who shall not have been called
out as q candidate nv tha writ4
quest of given percentage of the vote
cast at the preceding election in the
district, county or state in which he is
proposed as a candidate, in the same
manner that judicial candidates are
now called out in many states
| Provide for the selection Of a com
mittee to represent the party organiza-
ton and promulgate the party plat
form by the election at tho p~flY-arv o.
q OPt S'1ChIcSIIfS lISttA lICuu Tie DdrIN
for each county in the state
Under severe penalties for violation
Of the law, prohibit electioneering in or
about the election booth, punish bri-
berry or the attempt to bride, and pro-
tect fully the canvass and return of the
votes cast.
do this and the knell of the DO
litioal machine has sounded in ca.
state
"Then every citizen will share
equally in the nomination of the can
didates of his party and attend D,
mary elections as a privilege as well
as duty. 1t will no longer be neces-
sary to create an artificial interest in
the general election to induce voters
to attend. Intelligent, well-considered
Judgment will be substituted for I'M
thinking enthusiasm, the lamp of rea-
son for the torchlight The voter will
not require to be persuaded that he has
an interest in the election. He viii
know that he has the MORT
nations of the party will not be the
result of compromise or impulse. or
evil d0SiGn-tha 'harrnI' apd +ho mo-