Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-10-08


discredited in the pubic mind, II would
still DE no part Of my purpose now,
more than at any time heretofore, TO be
sveryed from the advocacy Of principles
to personal controversy with any one.
I have no quarrel with individuals no
Interior purpose in politics.
/ nave been personal TO this degree
nnlv to bring clearly to your mind the
real issue which should be Kept constant
Is before the public in this campaign -
that the contest now on in Wisconsin is
NOT one Of individuals, not solely one Of
noiiticaI parties. The issues are vastly
more important than IGere political is-
sues. 1t Is a contest between the people
ronteuding for equal taxation and the
tight TO select their own candidates on
the one hand, and the public service cor
porations determined to rule and to con-
troll legislation In their own selfish In
terests on the other.
Nominations bv Direct Vote.
The question Of primary elections is
one of government for the people and by
the people Under our system Of govern
ment by political parties, two elements,
equal in importance. are involved IN the
exercise of suffrage; one, the making OF
the ballot; the other, the casting Of the
ballot. The right to cast the ballot is
regarded. as sacred The right TO make
the ballot is equally sacred. No man
would be willing to delegate his power to
vote the ballot at general elections. No
man should be compelled to delegate his
power to make his ballot. Boss Tweed
said: "You may elect whichever caandi-
dates you please to office, II you Will al
low M to select the candidates The
boss can always afford to say, You may
vote any ticket you please so long as
make ali the tickets" The character Of
the men nominated and the influences TO
which they owe their nomination deter
mines the character Of government.
The result and the only result sought
By a primary election is to give to every
man an equal voice in the selection of all
randidate 20 lodge in the people the
absolute right to say who their capdi-
dates for Office shall be- TO root out tor
ever the power Of the political pUss TO
control the selection OF officials through
the manipulation OF accuses ana con-
ventions A primary election should pro-
vide the same safeguards for nominating
candidates as for electlng them II should
fix the day, name the hour, use the same
polling places, have the same election
officers, provide the Australian ballot,
containing the names Of all the candidates
TO be voted upon at the election, 1t
should be an election; possessing all the
legal sanctions OF an election.
Part of a Progressive Movement.
The question Of primary elections is not
one Of partisan politics. 1t is q question
nf citizenship. It is a question Of patriot
ism. 1t is a part Of progressive move
ment. The Legislatures of twenty-five
states in the last two years have intro
duced measures involving the principle
Many platforms OF different states for
1902 contain planks urging legislation for
the principle. Minnesota on the west
of us has tested It in two elections, and
II Is now generally accepted by her citi-
Eens as a permanent reformation, subject
20 statesmanlike improvement, but above
and beyond all party attack. Michigan
ON the east of us has tried the working
Of the direct primary in the city Of Grand
RAPIDS, and both the Democratic and
Republican platforms of this year declarg
for IL. The principle OF the primary cleo
tion law has been tried under party rules
and under imperfect and not wholly salts
factory state supervision, in various
states, counties and cities for thirty
years But in all that time. from the
adoption OF the Crawford county system
In Pennsylvania in 1868, 10 the successful
election Just held under the Minnesota
law, in no single instance have the peo-
pie, irrespective of party, been willing 20
abandon this method OF nominating can
d!dates and return to the caucus and con
yention plan. Should not this striking
fact appeal to our sobe- nonpartisan
Judgment From Pennsylvania TO Cali
fDrnla, from the Gulf TO Minnesota, how
ever imperfect the rules Under which
they operate, or Inc statutes which they
have adopted, no community or state
which has escaped from the domination
Of the caucus and convention has ever
been induced TO give up the right, when
once secured, TO make their own nomina-
sions by direct vote az primary election,
Caucus System Complex and Cumbersome
Consider the demands made upon the
voter under the convention system OF
making nominations.
To discharge this important public
duty of nominating candidates through
the caucus and convention which could
be SO easily and simply performed by d.
rect vote, you must attend-a caucus to
elect delegates to an Assembly conYen-
tion, and these delegates must elect dele
Gates to q state convention to nominate
state ticket; caucus to elect delegate
10 an Assembly convention To nominate
an assemblyman; a caucus to elect dele
gates to q senatorial convention to nomi-
nate state senator; 4 caucus TO elect
delegates to an Assembly or county con
vention, which in turn elect delegates 10
q district convention, to nominate a con
gresham: a caucus to elect delegates to
convention to nominate county officers
caucus to elect delegates TO a conven-
ton dominate a county superintendent.
II holding Of separate caucuses for
diffe at candidates weakens the citizens
influence and often results in defeating
the objects in which he is most deeply
interested.
In the Republican gubernatorial cam
p9lgn the performance of the platform
pledges was 4 prominent issue. With q
primary election the voter who stood fOI
the enactment of platform pledges into
law would, upon the same day, in choOs
ing candidate for executive, have select
ed the legislative candidates at the same
time, and the entire issue would be settled
when the votes were counted. Whereas
II the voter fails 10 attend the legislative
caucus. his vote for gubernatorisl nomi
nation may fail in its object.
Even II the caucuSes and conventions
were conducted In the most public-Spirit
&c way, with only the good OF the state
and the citizen in view, Il must be ad
r1itted that II Is a most cumbersome
complex system, wholly unsuited to our
busy times and progressive methods,
Bosses Better Known Than Statesmen.
Ii is needless to trace the evolution 81
the political machine. it's combination
witt aggregate wealth and corporate
r0wer making tue interests of the either
nnd tie state subservient H. their Seitisl
ends. The names OF the great bose,
t",Py are better known than the great
s'ttesIneu. The tendency TO monopoliza
ton of political control by a few men il
each party, county, city, state and com
munlty, has operated. except Ia cases ul
profound interest. excitement and ire
mendous effort. TO disfranchise the greu
minority Of citizens in so far as partici
pating in the caucus and convention il
concerned.