Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-02-28

business and become students or the
detailed questions OF government. But
where it is practically possible, with
out too great expense, without the
expenditure of too much time upon
the part of the rank and file of polit-
ical parties, to secure action which
shall give to every man who votes
right to vote directly for the thing or
the man he wants, it is a plain and
wise recurrence to the primal prin-
ciple of this republic, to give to each
individual the right and the power to
| exercise such privilege.
The opponents of the primary cleo
| ton law, presenting numerous objec-
lions to that measure, must be crowd
| ed by the resistless force of plain
logic into the final attitude of denying
the wisdom of popular government,
and affirming the desirability of repre-
sentative government wherever that
is possible. The friends Of the meas
ure stand squarely upon this propo-
sition: that wherever we can obtain
direct expression of the peoples will
| it should be done, and that the repre-
sentative system should only be used
when it is what might be called a
physical necessity.
Friends of the primary election law
say that voter can be trusted to pick
out a candidate for Office. The oppo-
nents of the primary election law say
that the voter may be trusted to pick
out a man who perhaps may be trust
ed to pick out some other man to pick
out for the original voter, whose judg-
ment to a great extent is lost in the
transaction, a man who can represent
that original voter better in public
office than one whom the voter might
select himself. They claim that a
caucus is deliberative body; that
men assemble there for the purpose OF
discussing the merits and efficiency of
men. Is that true as a rule? Do men
who go into caucuses carefully DELHI
crate as to the real merits of men
whose names are proposed as dele
gates to conventions? | ask the mem
bers of this committee and of this
legislature if a proceeding of this
kind is not rare in caucus action.
We must take the caucus as it is
and not as it should be. Candidates
for delegates are usually selected by
themselves or by the representatives
of certain element of the party in the
precincts. Somebody begins to hustle
Voters friendly to the candidates are
urged to be present at the caucus
There is no canvass Of the real merits
of the delegates in the caucus pro
ceedings in one case in one hundred
Success depends upon activity, skill
in organization, in getting the right
crowd to the caucus polls. If the
delegates are to be elected to a county
convention they are usually pledged
to the interests of some one candidate
upon the county ticket. They go to
the county convention to nominate
that man. The votes are traded up
and down the length Of the county
ticket with that sole purpose in view.
The judgment of the rank and file OF
the party from the precinct so repre-
scented has no expression and, in a
great and dangerous number Of cases
it is totally disregarded. What is true
of the county convention is true OF
every other convention. When ii
comes to the state convention the
judgment of the individual voter is
sifted through the delegate who is
sent to the assembly convention; an
, other chance is taken in the delegate
, whom he votes for as a representative
in the state convention, and there the
delegates from the assembly conven
, ton, having as rule been elected fOl
the purpose of placing some one man
upon the state ticket, combine With
delegates favorable to the interests 81
other candidates upon the ticket for
the sole purpose of securing the nOmi
, nation of the one man Of their choice
1t is we'll known to the members Of
) this committee that in the proceed
! ings of county, assembly, senatorial
: and state conventions, men are very
J often nominated for Office who have
: had no popular following whatever
: and who are placed upon the ticket bJ
the friends of strong candidates FOL
+ other places simply through motives
r of personal expediency. This mode O
} procedure and its consequences have
l become familiar to voters in all par
r ties, and the wall is going up from
/ every municipality in the land ar(
r from every American state, from The
political economists of the country
1 and from the best thinkers of tht
. country, that the great trouble il
S American political life,-the corrup
4 ton in municipalities, the selection o
D incompetent, inefficient or corrup
: men for influential positions,-is du,
d to the fact that large portion Of tn
S best citizens in all parties take n,
e part whatever in primary party action
d The friends of this bill believe tina
J. the evils of the caucus and convention
C system are such as to keep out 0
i caucus and convention proceeding
r the men who represent the labor, tn
n farming and the business elements 0
e the country, and who do not wish t
f mingle in the broils of caucuses an
+ conventions where professional o
a semi-professional politicians dictat
G action and control results.
/ The proposed primary election LAY
t is designed to bring to the primarie
u the men who do not now attend then
:. 1t provides for one permanent eleC
It ton day, the second Tuesday in Sci
o TENDER, convenient for the agricul