The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-01-13
SOME PLAIN TALK.
As TO the Methods In Vogue In the
Political Conventions,
(Bridgton News. J

kDrluBtou NoWe'J
Elsewhere will be found the os II for the
Republics state convention snd some
observations from Mr.. Manley as TO the
legal status given conventions under the
A australian ballot law.
1t is a singuli 1T fact, that while what Is
said IL true, 1t is none the less true that
as mode OF expressing party sentiment
as to principles OF government or eveL
as to candidates, the conventions have
become, under the new methods that have
been introduced, utterly worthless.
They cut no ice except rs official ratihca-
ton meetings. 10 be more explicit. The
new departure has given to the state COM
mittee and its machinery the entire DON
troll Some fellow nominates himself fer
governor or coz gresham years perhaps
before the time Is ripe for making the
selection. Industrious works up his cassly
coaxss of all other aspirants under the
preteDce that be has every body pledged,
the papers Are asked to cay that "the con-
sen sus Of opinion" points that way, tbs
political machine In due time gives its
aoquiescenoe-and the thing Is fixed
There is no use tor oauc lsss or conven-
tions except to ratify-to refuse to DO so
is quite impossible nowadays! since un-
utT tu6 HlCt VI tut IudUulh-
cry there Is aud can be no dehberation.
The chairman of the committee touches
the electric hutton; and the bicely ar.
ranged programme Is carried out just as
logs are shot through the "chutss" CT the
dams on the great riversl From first to
last, as q deliberative assembly, the ,oou-
ven Iion Is q farce. II one wants to put
in a resolution the contents thereof even
cannot be made known to the convention
unless the committee to whom IL Is 'ire-
ferred without reading" assentsi The
| "aoclamation" racket dsprives one OF the
poor privilege OF casting his vote for IL e
man of his choice, and he and his CON-
stituency are practically disfranchised "
he or they have any oplnionsl Indeed,
the rank and file are not in it.
Now as to this April Convention. The
State Committee meet to agree upon the
call and Arrange for the convention.
Simultaneous " It'll the meeting, before
perhaps half dozen voters have been
consulted, the newspapers are given the
probable selections Of a convention which
can not be constituted for three months
yeti The public Is favored with the
names Of delegates at large and from the
districts and also with tire names OF the
presidential electors as WE'LL Very excel
lent selections-but who make themi Not
the convention, surely-just as 1t will
not be the body that meets in June at
Bangor that Ia to name the successor OF
Gov. Powers.
Surely. there must be a change In these
methods else good many people will
refuse either to attend conventions or he
bound by their dscrses. Indeed the people
are slowly being driven to this already.
In Republican politics there is too much
of the managerial domination. AS an
orthodox Republican newspaper we'll
says: "Once in a great while it would be
refreshing to see the voters SIS whole de-
eide as to who the party's choice should
be. instesd Of modestly and quietly sub
uniting to the self-appointed leaders of
the party" Let the peopls themselves
take q hand and these abuses may be
easiiy remedied! But II they will not Ia
1t not infinitely better to largely reduce
the size of the oonventions-to q limit
adapted to the fultilment Of their part I'm
the legal aspects Of the voting machine,
and leave, as now, the shaping Of policies
and the paming of candidates to the
committeeman Then the Individual
voter may determine for himself what
may he his duty in the premises he may
"ratify" or otherwise. as seemeth to him
fit.