Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-01-29
MIR. PRADT OPPOSES
PRIMARY ELECTION LAW.

rupt man can always be bought, and
that doing away with caucuses and con-
ventions. will not do away with that
fact? And as for Badgers
But, to recur to the subject of the
evils and defects of 1.-The present system"
i venture the assertion that they will
practically disappear if all good citizens
will attend the caucus. And therein is
food for reflection on the part of the re-
formers.
Moreover / wish to testify to the good
features of caucuses and conventions
at any rate in Marathon county. In
Marathon county they are the training
schools of us humble politicians. They
afford us means for the interchange
of ideas and for mutual acquaintance.
They inspire enthusiasm. Our dele
gates go home from our conventions to
their constituents filled with zeal for
the party and armed for discussion with
the political enemy. We benighted
ones enjoy our conventions and some
of us get as much pleasure out of being
delegates to them us other bigger men
get out of being congressman and gov
errors. And when one of us is sent as
delegate to the state convention it
takes him month to tell all about it to
his friends and neighbors after he comes
back. Yet we never dreamed that this
was sinful pleasure. The last republi-
can convention in Marathon county
Unjust it be the lastD was composed of
over 100 delegates-the pick of the
county. They were addressed by an
eloquent state official, by the candidate
for congress, by two repentant demo-
Gratis and by myself. There was test
for weakness but they stood it beauti-
fully. They nominated ticket COM
posed of men of unquestioned talent
enthusiasm and determination to win.
1t was our most and impressive politi-
cal meeting of the campaign and it
struck terror to the hearts of the enemy.
Witness the fact that we redeemed
democratic Marathon county by 1000
majority for Mckinley! And now it is
proposed to do away with all this and
to make the nomination of candidates
as dull and flavorless us q shrub ban
quet. The reformer who thinks that
the plain people of Marathon county
are going to enjoy such a change will
find himself mistaken.
In conclusion would suggest, with
all Difference, that there may possibly
be middle ground which it would be
wise to occupy in this matter There
are a great many others, beside myself,
in the state who doubt the complete
wisdom of the proposed primary cleo
ton law and who, nevertheless, are
not bumptious enough to deny that it
has its good features. We accord to
the supporters Oft the proposed reform"
the same sincerity and worthy motives
that we claim for ourselves in the prem
ises. Hence there should be mutual re-
spect fer one another's opinions in the
discussion of this subject, and out of it
all may grow compromise. Speaking
for myself and, l think Imay safely say,
for many others who deny the pending
indictment of the existing system. |
am free to admit that there are serious
evils prevailing in the operation of our
caucuses and for the reason that | have
already ndicated-that the majority of
our citizens whose duty it is to attend
the caucus, wilfully neglect that duty.
But, as | have also intimated, | am a
firm believer in the representative plan
of procedure afforded by the conven-
ton, which is strictly analogous to
our universal form of government,
whether found in the Town or County
board, the state legislature or the ma
tiOnal congress. To my mind the only
reform in this line that is needed is in
the caucus and, perhaps, in view>of all
the facts, the only practical way to
bring this about may be to abolish the
caucus and to substitute for it primary
election of delegates to all party con-
ventions. This plan prevails TO some
extent in Pennsylvania and, I under
stand. in some other states and is rea-
sonably satisfactory.
LOUIS A PRADT.
Wausau, Wis, Jan. 20.