Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-05-31
WHAT LEGISLATORS SAY.
Individual Organizations will Control
the Elections.

L. IL. SnCeIl1D, one VI Inc Aol' L 'lhL
representatives in the lower house OF the
Legislature, who is credited with beng
as well informed in legislative matters
as any member, said
There was and is Il general feeling on
the part of the members from the coun-
try that the law is all wrong and that
the country should not be included i'll its
operation for it does not accomplish what
is claimed for it. Active organization
will control a primary election as well
as it will convention. When conven-
tons are done away with all party IN
! tereSt is wiped out. except so far as self
constituted organization results from the
efforts of the candidates themselves.
Tendency to Limit Ope rntior.
Il do not believe that if the friends of
primary election in Minnesota attempted
to pass bill which included state otI-
GERS and did away with the state con-
yention, they could do it. In my opin-
ion they could not possibly succeed,
for the general tendency of the public
mind is to still farther limit its opera
ton
IN speaking of the power it placed in
the hands Of the press, Mr.. Sheehan
said: In certain counties the newspapers
have entered into Il combination. all pub
llSherS agreeing that unless Il certain and
| fixed sum is paid no political announce
ments will be printed. | can say that
the feeling among the very men who
passed the bill, as evidenced by the extra
session, was to repeal it, or at least to
limit its operation to cities.'
RevuIsion of Sentiment.
Senator e. T. Young of Appleton, with
an approved legislative record of many
years and Il man of the very highest
character. said: '"There may be some
latent feeling favorable to the extension
of the law to do away with the state
convention, but there is no demand for
such an act. My impression is that
there is quite a revulsion of sentiment
against the law. | favored limiting its
operation to cities. There is no Ques-
ton about its working most advantage
ouSly for the man who is in Office, and
newspaper support is, of course, Il most
important adjunct of success. The Leg
islature needed the newspaper agitation
for the law and some of the members
believed that there was a demand for
it among the people, but my observation
in the country is that this is not so. 1t
does not appeal to them. The cost to the
taxpayers and to the individual candi-
date is much more than under the con-
vention system"
General Sentiment for Repeal.
Sherman S. Smith, one of the leading
Minneapolis representatives in the Legis-
lature, said: The general sentiment
during the special session of the Legis-
laturc where it found expression, was in
favor of the repeal of the primary law.
There is Il very great doubt as to Wheth-
er the primary law as applied to the
nomination Of state officers and the do
ing away with the state convention
would be practicable.
1T is not only n cumbersome system,
but very expensive one as well. SO
far as the candidate for office is con-
cerned he is obliged to indulge in poll
tics the year around, almost, and the
urinary OnPpSSItOtpS two active and
gressive campaigns. In my opinion it
simply leads to the continuation in Of
flee of the men who are in, regardless of
competency or party cXpediency. 1t is
practically as expensive as a general
election, and this is paid by the tax
payers. Under its provisions there is
no way to overcome ineXpedient nominal
lions from a party standpoint, so far as
nationality or geographical selections are
concerned For instance, the Eighth
ward in the city of Minneapolis upon
the county ticket furnished the sheriff
clerk of court, auditor and register of
deeds These four most important Of
fees under the law are given to a ward,
the vote of which was OnC-tWelfth Of
the vote i'll the county.
Favors Machine Politician.
at is decidedly in favor of the ma
chine politician and the political organ
iZer and they have the best of it by
far: The country members felt opposed
to It's extension, and also to the present
law. One Of the principal reasons
against it is the matter Of expense, as it
ncceSSltateS two campaigns, and the ten
dcncy IS not to give as good a class of
men as under the convention system. [
believe that it will work detrimentally
TO party interest and party organization.
50 far as the country districts are CON
cerncd the entire county ticket is yery
apt to come from the county seat Here
tofore, under the convention system, that
part OF Hennepln county outside of the
city Of Minneapolis has always had it's
representation in the Legislature. but
under the new law the entire delegation
comes from the city. The law is dis
tInctly III favor of the centers of popu-
latlon, and the. larger towns Of a county
would unQucStiOnably control"
Representative Smith was inclined to
rldlcule the idea of extending the system
to include state officers and do away
with the state convention. He spoke of
the power and possibilities of political
rings and combinations under the new
plan and believed that under it they
had wider power and influence than
under the convention system. '"The pri-
mary law leads to one-man power in pol
itics and is in favor of the individual
who takes time to organize his forces"
he said. In my opinion, it will never
be extended to include state officers and
may be further limited in its operation
1t is well to safeguard the ballot and
election machinery of the larger cities
and some law like the present one may
be all right"
Auditor Dunn Shows StronE Defects.
There is no better known man in Min
neSota than State Auditor r. G. Dunn.
With a personal and official acquaint-
anceShip coeXtensive with the state his
views are worthy Of consideration.
While unquestionably the primary sys-
tenn would work to the advantage of a
man like Mr.. Dunn, he has no hesitancy
in expressing his views upon the subject.
He spoke Of the cXpensiveness Of the
system and said that lin Minnesota
there are about $500 voting precincts,
and its operation in the state at large
will cost the taxpayers approximately
100000 at each election 1t was his
opinion that the system would not be eX
tended to include state officers He also
spoke OF the power of Il minority candi-
date and the utter impOSSibility of pre-
serving a party organization or the adOp-
ton of a platform under the present
plan.
Clarence L. Wallace, Minneapolis rep
resentative of the Pioneer Press and q
member of the lower house in the Min
nesota Legislature, said: 'The law is
largely experimental, and there is grave
doubt as to its extension to include state
officers and do away with state conven-
tons"
S. A. Stockwell, Democratic member
of the Senate from Minneapolis, took a