The Saint Paul globe., 1898-01-10

allegiance, do not see how dishonest
and immoral the whole shameless per-
formance has been.
REFORM AT THE FOUNDATIONS.
There will meet in New York city
next week a national congress of re-
formers to discuss the various plans
for the redemption of the last strong
hold Of the machine politicians, the
primaries. While the Importance of
these initiative steps in all political
action has always been admitted, re-
form began at the terminal, the ballot,
because there the evil had assumed di-
mensions that threatened the life of
the principle Of democracy, the denial
through bribery or coercion, of the
right of free, untrammeled and unin-
f1uenced expression Of judgment. That
is now secured and attention can be
devoted to the rescue Of the primaries
from the same vicious control. The
national movement is undertaken un-
der the auspices and initiative Of the
Chicago Civic Federation, that has done
so much to bring that city out Of the
domination of it's worst elements, al
though the exploits Of its common
council show that the federation has
yet much to do. Already several plans
have been prepared and some Of them
published. Practically they are all at
one on the necessity of removing the
management of party caucuses from
their committees and vesting it in Of
ficers duly chosen or appointed as are
the judges of elections, acting under
oath and restrained by penalties from
falsifying the vote
We have adverted to the plan pro-
posed by ex-Congressman Toilette, of
Wisconsin, which extends to primary
elections the machinery Of the regular
election, including the filing of nomi-
nation papers, the preparation of an
official ballot containing the names of
all nominees of all parties on one bal
lot, and an election under the secret
ballot law, with sworn returns by the
officers and their tabulation by proper
officers. the persons receiving the high
est number Of votes in their respective
parties for each office to be declared
the nominees Of that party. This pro-
ceeding would necessarily have to fol-
low the registration Of voters and that
would have to be made at an earlier
date than at present. The plan. of
which this is but a brief and imperfect
sketch, has been fully wrought out by
Its author. and the reception he has re-
ceived from the audiences in his state
to which he has presented it indicates
that the interest in the reform is gem
eraL 1t Is regrettable that the press
OF his party In that state have assumed
to discern in the movement a scheme to
further the political ambition of its
author, instead Of discussing the plan
upon it's merits. It would seem to in
olcate that they are opposed to the re-
form and seek to prevent it by dis
counting the motives of it's proposer.
Another plan is presented by Mr..
Brooks and published in the Outlook.
The distinguishing feature Of this plan
is the utilization Of the boards Of reg
istration to do the double duty of reg
istering the voter and receiving his
vote for candidates Of his party. There
is the same nomination by petition of
members Of a party. subscribed under
oath as members Of that political par
ty, the number Of petitioners graded
relatively to the Importance of the Of
flee, and the arrangement of the names
Of the persons so nominated under
headings Of the respective offices on an
official ballot containing the nominees
Of all parties. When a voter registers
he is to receive a ballot with which
he retires to the booth and there marks
the names Of those of his party whom
he wishes to have placed upon the
general election ballot as the candi-
dates of his party. An advantage of
this plan is the saving in expense
which separate primary, with it's
corps of judges and clerks would in
FOiNc. oul VI lllG various InGCnOQS that
will be presented to the conference and
their discussion there will be evolved
some one plan commended to the sew
eral legislatures for adoption. Of the
need Of reform there is no question out
side the ranks of those who now find
their opportunities in the present
method, one that has resulted in the
practical ostracism Of all but those
concerned Immediately in the profits of
running with the machine If, after
this reform Is established, the element
that now avoids primaries as a use
less waste of time and effort continue
to avoid them, they will not be able to
find plausible excuse in the plea that
their votes would not count or be
counted if they went. They will count
there precisely as much as they count
at the general election.
AN IMPORTANT DIFFER ENCE.
An evening contemporary as vet in