The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-29

I
on this proposition.
Frank Clark OF Shawnee. one Of the
leading Democrats OF his part of the
territory is favorable to the primary sys-
tenn OF nominations. but does not believe
that this is the year for the use OF such
a system and has written letter indi-
eating his views on the matter
Mr.. Clark sent his letter to the Okla
! honlan at Oklahoma City and is given as
/ follows:
Shawnee. o. T. Jan. 25. 1soa.
Editor Oklahoman:--I have just read
in your most excellent journal of this
date the letter of Hon Edgar w. Jones
! OF Guthrie, in which he is advocating a
primary election for the selection of
Democratic candidates for office from
that of delegate 10 congress down to con-
/ stable. I wish 10 say that I am a firm
! believer in the primary election method
OF selecting party candidates. and on all
! proper occasions shall be found advocat-
ing that method as the surest and fair
| est way OF reaching the win of the mass
/ es. but there are in my Judgment, reas-
/ ons OF very great force which seem to
me 10 make the holding of q Democratic
territorial convention. bury all personal
/ ambition The principal reason which to
| my mind makes the holding of such con-
vention necessary. is the fact that the
/ Democratic party in Oklahoma is as yet
/ in the formative state. The leaders of the
party need TO get together in convention,
bury all personal ambition for the time.
put away all factonal or sectional feel
ing, If such exists, promulgate a clean
cut platform of principles. put UP clean.
strong man. who is a straight Democrat,
arraign the Republican party of this ter
ritory in an indictment covering all their
misdeeds in the government of Oklahoma.
and then go before the people and win.
We must go before the people with
ringing platform Of principles, denouncing
Republican nnis-adninistration, and at the
same time informing the people tn
course democracy will pursue in the
event of success and pledging the sacred
honor OF the party to the faithful main
teRance Of the promises made. If we
simply hold 4 primary election and nom
mate candidate. then the people win
nave no further pledge from the dernoe-
facy than the personality of the candi
date carries with it. and our platform of
principles will be crazy-quilt made up
OF the various opinions of our campaign
orators and newspaper editors. This will
never do. We must have for the Demo-
cratic party of Oklahoma chart of po-
litical principles. We must have A con-
stitution of political faith we must
have a foundation stone for the Demo-
cratic temple Let us then in this year
Of grace 1892. when all the signs Of the
time are propitious for an overwhelming
Democratic victory. meet together in con-
vention and solemnly enact what to US
will be the organic law of the party and
with it. confidently go before the people.
Again: primary election held in this
territory to nominate a delegate to con-
gress, viii be an exceedingly expensive
business, and who will pay the cost? How
VIII the money be raised TO meet this
heavy expense? I suppose it viii be
answered that you would levy assess
ments upon the different candidates. This
would put burden upon those gentlemen
that they could not well afford, and beside
it would shut out of the race any poor
man who might have aspirations in that
direction, Surely the Democratic party
which has always been the friend Of the
poor, the humble and the oppressed, does
not want TO adopt system that would
have the effect of denying the poor men.
no matter how well qualified they may
be. the right to aspire to jublic Office.
This assessment is not all the expense
which the adoption of primary system
at this time was entail on candidates for
this nomination. Each candidate would
have TO canvass the whole territory prior
to the primary election, and the success
ful candidate would have to canvass the
territory the second time before the gen
eral election. There is too much 10 ask /
or expect from any man, and it would
certainly take a man of considerable /
means TO do it, and when you put such |
conditions of party preferment that only !
the wealthy members of the organization |
can hope TO secure the honors of the par /
ty, then YOU place ''the dollar above the /
man." For one. / prefer to stand with /
our Incompatible leader. William ]. Bry- /
an, and in the contest between the man /
and the dollar I propose TO stand with the 1
man.
In county nominations. where the diff /
ferent candidates and their close friends
are right on the ground, you could prob
'' ave S0A'i'Ae'S'oiS -oHlA4ia tois, out
IN a contest for congress covering the
twenty-six counties in this territory,
without any law governing the holding Of
party primary elections charges and
counter charges of fraud would IN all
reasonable possibility be made and this
would engender so much bitterness Of
feeling that il would well nigh disrupt US
These things considered. 1 am strongly
Of the opinion that we should have
this year. lay aside our per
sonal preferences for the general good.
lgree upon the strongest man as our can
idate, issue a code of pure Democratic
aw. and then, presenting a solid front TO
the enemy. we may be invincibIe. Yours
FRANK CLARK.