Marble Hill press. (Marbel [sic] Hill, Mo.) 1881-1923, 1899-10-12

OF lflGnuS IN ln6 various Young pre-
cincts of the state who are working
for hlm; paid the expense OF the
sundry CLERKS employed to send out
literature and look after details:
help in paying for the printing ofthe
tickets in st. Louis and in ia
counties, paid the per diem ofjudges
and clerls-the chances he will
wish he had never entered INTO the
contest; he will swear, win or lose,
he will never enter into another
one. He will also find that under
the statutes Of the state he will be
required to die with the secretary
Of the state an itimlzed expense ac-
count, BY this time some one will
call his attention to the fact that Mis-
souri, has Il corrupt practice act
and the chances are he will fiud
that he has expended already, before
the real fight opens up, more than
the law allows him to cXpend, and
that he is likely already ineligible
to the office to which he has been
nominated, and which he so much
desires A poor man, unable to
meet assessments, made upon him by
varIous committees Of The state,
could not even get his name on the
tickets. lie might be the choice Of
the party, but under the primary
method he wonId not be in it,
~. After the heavy disbursements
in securing the nomation, it is still
expected the candidates will con
tribute as literally as possible to
the campaign fund The ma
jority OF them will De found tber, |
fear, more or less financially EN-
barrassed,' after their experiences
with the primary plan Of naming
state cadidateS, and unable TO meet
further assessments.
"8. Missouri has had habit for
a number Of years Of going demo
vratIc, TO the disgust oi the rovuoII,
cans generally, She is now con
sidered BY the republicans every.
where as hopelessIy democratic
state The chances are rs matters
stand. today, that our majority, un
less some mistakes are made, Will
be not less than sixty or seventy
thousand in 1900. Under the
theory that we had better let well
enough alone, we should not, under
the existing fortunate condition Of
affairs in the state experiment. or
tamper with sacred things. | do
not know Of any democratic stale
which has attempted to name its
candidates for state otlire by the
general primary plan. Let few
republican states try it frat.
g. Ifadopted, | fear that the politi-
cal bosses throughout the state
would be able to dictate our nom,
inees more easily than it could be
done at convention, where every.
thing is done in the open. The
cities would pol more than the
). full democratic vote. Rains through
out, the state would reduce mater.
tally the country vote, Twenty
five thousand republicans conId be
'borrowed' by the professional pol
itica! manipuators in the cities of
st. Louis, Kansas City and ST.
Joseph. After the vote is counted
it might be found mat the "andl
dates were punched in one congress.
sional district, or in Que ward OF a
great city, The professionals
could more easily play upon the
credulity Of the masses, and deceive
them on the eve Of the primary.
with their personal letters and Iy,
Ing circulars than they could the
delegates,
40. In the confusion and excite
ment of a general primary we
would be inclined to overlook the
availability of the various candi'
dates. In order to encourage all
elements within our party and To
properly distribute honors among
them to which they are entitled,
I we should take into consideration,
besides fitness, many things which
come under the generalization OF
availability.
al. The various candidates for
nominations would be compelled to
make very thorough canvass OF
the state. Every one ofour 100000
voters viii be seen in advance, and
will be personally looked after on
the day Of the primary. All sorts
OF lies will be set anoat, damaging
in the extreme TO tho reputation
Of many Of the candidates. II
will be found that our energies
will be largely wasted 10 ihe pre-
liminary fght, much bitterness en-,
eendered. and thnt within two o.
three orfourmonlhs aflerward, The
wounds which have been inflicted
upon ihe repulations OF the variou'
candidates will not have healed and
II viii be extremely diIiienlt for tn
candidates and Tho verions cpinuii
tees of lheal 60 work M uillrlenl
iniprcst 70 gei out anything like /
. fall s0te#again ~ the general elcc
b llnn IL lila way wr WIN INV