The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-12
Works LIKE CHARM
New Primary Law in Mime
sofa Signed by Governor.
HEALERS' DAYS ENDED
Rank and File Can Now Vote
as They Please.

70 the entire satisfaction OF state.
the measures viii go to the
governor. 1t applies 10 an elective
oAIces in the state except the supreme
court and the heads Of the state executive
departments. Except Tor the purpose OF
nominating candidates for these Offices,
the separate party primaries. with its
"heelers" and 'repeaters' anu the dele
gate convention, with SIS trading and
trickery. vii be laid on the shelf on Sep
TENDER of this year. thereafter nomi-
nations for all local, county. legislative,
congressional and 9inor judicial offices
viii be made directly by the people
Tie radical and far-reaching reform
was the result OF a conviction. almost IN
iversal throughout the state. that reform
was necessary. and that the Iaethod pro-
posed was practicable. Not since the
time Of the Australian allot reform has
any measure in Minnesota been supported
by demand so nearly unanimous The
only opposition encountered in both cases
was that of the machine politicians, never
a very strong element in Minnesota. In
both casese the opposition was largely CO.
vert. and in both cases il was borne down
oy the popular demand. This recognition
of the right OF the rank an file to have a
voice in the selection of their party can
didates is the more remarkable in that ii
was supported by no organized or SIS
tematic agitation. In the fail campaign
direct primaries were seldom mentioned.
The press Of the state urged the reform
hoo hut
meetings or formal gatherings OF any
kind were held. IN short. the only ex-
PLANTATION Of the grace with which the leg
islature yielded a reform which the legis-
latures Of Indiana. Michigan. Oregon and
Wisconsin have thus far refused is the
collective force of individual opmion.
The popularity Of the reform is a com
bination Of four factors Lac most I'M
pOrtant of these is tie peculiar demo-
cratic nature Of the direct primary. and
the popular jealousy OF political control
by the few. The second factor is the Ut
ter futihty Of every attempt TO reform the
convention system by the imposition Of
legal restraints, excellent as far as they
went, but Inadequate. The third factor
is the test OF the system in Minneapolis,
which proved the practicabn--y Of the
measure, and revealed the eagerness Of
the rank and file to participate in nom
nations when it is worth while. The
fourth factor is the Improvement in polit-
icaI conditions and in administration that
in theory at least will result from the
change. This consideration appealed pow
erfully TO an influential class OF voters.
Though few of this class regard the di-
rect primary as a panacea for political
ills, or expect to see its fu.. fruition IN the
immediate future they look for decided
Improvement IN the long run. They argue
that by throwing open to every aspirant
the chance of nomination, and by doing
away with the necessity Of trucHling 70
the professional wire-puller. self-respect-
ing men. with an ambition 20 serve she
public disinterestedly, will sooner or later
get into the habit Of presenting them
selves for Office. and by the force Of tneir
character and example remove the stig-
ma now attached 70 activity IN politics.
With one important modification. the
Minnesota law. is. in all essential details
the Minneapolis law with the nominal
ing petition eliminated. The distinctive
features Of the law are:
% Common primaries for all parties
concurrently and under compulsion.
O. The combination Of primary election
day with one Of the registration days.
which for the purpose IS set back seven
weeks before election.
CD Regular judges and clerks Of cleo
ton serving as judges and clerks Of the
primary.
4) The alienation OF the names Of the
candidates TO eliminate an aGvanfazs o.
position.
o. All the safeguards II The regular
election law as far as apple lble.
To secure place on the lis,tct- an as
pirant need only file with the couT o.
auditor an afiadvit that he is "a meuil,s-
Of the party whose nomination he 8 axe
and q bona hde candidate for specified
office. Ae fee o. $40 for a local OF county
nomination. and Of go fer an Office voted
for in more than one c0unly.'is also re-
quired The important mobilization q
the Minneapolis Law Is tire requirement
that a voter name his ticket Cnaer tee
Minneapolis lax. a voter was eitcn one
ticket of each partT, but 81 q provision
that only that ticket should Do counted
which had upor IT the grsstest number 81
marks. ample protection. Dnl-r any prob
able combination ~ circunstancef aas
given against The concerted ro-n'aatior ~
weak candidates q ore party ~ voters
OF another The tyraunv - party s-lr't.
however. induced the legislature u re-
l1ire The voter 70 select hls ticket before
the judges The reason Tor not erte1d-
Ing the system 70 the state cffices vas
that q majority ~ both houses believed
10 woulE be prudent % give TIE p7a1 r.
further test over small areas than ~ rex
the lmp=rfecticns and rossioie eTncarass-
rreuts 70 a hastily framed law under TIE
widely different conditions - elections ~
barge in due tire these Offices All also
De brought ur6er TIRE law. ard the iasf
stronghold ~ ere NADINE Destroyed.
Purify the blood and frFiEeFafe the
body bV using De ttift's Dttie EariT
Rlsers. the famous Htfir pias for eieaEs-