Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-30
WHAT WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT.


5 WHAT WE ARE 81
S TALKING ABOUT. s.
"The Minnesota Primary Election
Law" is the subject of an article by A.
T.. Meargle. in the October American
Monthly Review of Reviews. He says
that in September, 1900, there was tried
in Minneapolis an important experiment
In politics. The Minnesota primary
election law, passed by the state legis-
lature during the session of 1899 was SO
worded that it's first tria! should take
place in the largest city of the state.
The general outcome was such that the
law, in an amended form, was extended
by the last legislature so as to make
the nomination of candidates for all ex-
eept state offices matters of direct pop
rlar choice.
The author of the plan. Mr. Oscar f.
e. Day, of Minneapolis claims original
ity for it in the following particulars:
"n) Concurrent primaries for all
parties on one day. under compulsion.
(2) Primary election held on registra-
ton day for general election. t0 Reg
istration machinery used for the cleo
ton. thus saving expense. "a Alternat-
ing of positions of names of candidates
On ballots. so that every other ticket has
names in different locations"
The primary election took place on the
first of the three registration days re-
CURED by law to precede the general
election, the date being, in 1900 Sept 49,
The immediate results of the primary
were unforeseen. There had been All
II IDEA that, at all events, popular vote
would keep to party lines, and would
establish beyond doubt who were the
"fayorite sons" of each political family.
The outcome was different from that
anticipated; but it left no doubt as to
one thing, at least-namely, that under
the new law people can and will nomi-
lnate whom they choose.
| a concurrent primary is a primary OF
| all parties. at the same time and place,
| with but one ballot box for receiving all
| the votes, the same judges. and the
same machinery altogether. There is no
possible way of distinguishing between
| democrats and republicans at concur
| rent primary. And such being the case,
| the compulsory concurrent primary
| election is almost as radical reform as
| the Australian balloting system, and 1t
| is almost as violently opposed by party
| managers. 1t should be feature of
| every primary law aiming at reform.
| Another advantage peculiar to the Min
nesota plan is economy of time and ex-
pense, the machinery of the usual regis
| tration being used for the primary cleo
| ton. The impartial arrangement of the
candidates names on the ballot-a third
popularity of the Minnesota plan-gives
each a Just share of the advantage
gained by being first on the list for any
office. The order Is changed, by a SIM
| pie device in the process of printing, as
| many times as there are names of can
| didates for any office. Party division is
| the only arbitrary feature of the Mime
sofa primary law. If the alleged evil re-
suits of the recent election are to be
| laid to the law. 1t is this feature. and not
the secret ballot. that should be blamed.
You can't vote for the best man on both
| tickets said the law: you need not tell
which ticket you vote, but you must
| vote only one.
Who oppose such a law, and why, is
/ clear. Wherever one is introduced,
\ party manipulators and politicians OF
| every degree will oppose it. because
1 their chance at the spoils depends on
| conditions which it is the tendency of
| the direct primary to reyolutionlze
| Previous to the passage OF the uct in
/ Minnesota, 1t was extremely difficult to
4 interest the people of the state In IT.
| Now that it has been once tried, the
\ people of the entire country are inter-
Iested Many districts in other states are
| returning to their legislatures repre-
sentatives pledged to support such q
law.
"ldleness as a Profession" is the title
of a noteworthy article In OCTOBER
Munsey. Mr.. Ford, the author, says
| that In America 1t Is impossible to adopt
the profession Of idleness without the
stigma of being a loafer or roue. he
\ illustrates az follows
"a man, who represents high type
of idleness, was born with gifts of mind
1 and heart of a distinctly high order. 1t
was his misfortune to be cursed with an
1 income of $4,000 year, and mother
who had nurtured in her soul the gen
| tleman of leisure. microbe. This man
went thru college creditably. standing
fairly we'll in his class. and enjoying the
esteem OF hie fellow students. After
| graduation he entered upon the lie Oh
well bred ease which his doting mother
| had planned for him. In London and
Paris he found precisely the atmosphere
of idleness that appealed to him. while
a certain native good taste in books and
pictures enabled him to become col
Hector in modest way. My friend re-
turned to New York, richer by several
years of life under conditions that nat
urally tend to foster idieness and make
ldays, and months, and years of leisure.
If not wholly delightful, at least endur-
able. He soon found that idleness in
4 New York and idleness in European
! city were two very different matters. In
4 London he had been thrown with scores
of men who made business of being
| idle and on whose shoulders leisure sat
las gracefully as a coat made by fine
"a u. f.F1 In u y