The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-27
REFORM AT THE FOUNTAIN HEAD.

REFORM AT THE FOUNTAIN HEAD.
The meeting to consider the steps to be
taken to secure a primary election law
held under the auspices of the Commercial
Club should give encouragement to those
who believe in the imperative Importance
of better methods to nominate candidates.
and also prove an admonition to those who
imagine it will be easy TO return to the
abuses which made the old primary sys-
TEN odious 10 a large majority of intelli-
gent citizens. The spirit of that gathering
made it certain at the outset that the i'm
provement of the methods Of selecting can
didates by political parties is a reform that
has come to stay. 1t may not succeed at
a single bound. but its ultimate triumph
is certain, because patriotic and intelligent
men recognize the great Importance of put
ting the selection of candidates under as
positive legal restrictions as is the election
OF those candidates. Government b. party
is recognized in State laws and institutions;
both parties must be represented on State
boards. on every election board and in the
printing Of the ballots. Inasmuch as gov
eminent begins where the candidates of
parties are named, the laws should take
cognizance of the primary as well as of the
election, since the officers elected are made
at the primaries of one or the other Of the
two parties. Such being the case, there
is neither sense, logic, nor ethics in leav-
ing the making Of a party's candidates to
primaries held outside of law, at which any
one who wishes can vote, and which can be
controlled by a few men who can organize
the worst element of voters in both parties,
or nonvoters, and march them from pre-
cinct to precinct or ward to ward. 1t had
come to a pass in this city that thousands
Of Republicans had altogether ceased go
ing to the primaries because there was no
opportunity for the individual party man TO
have a voice in the selection of candidates
or of the delegates who selected them.
Those who imagine that they are the spon-
sors for the Republican party may hatter
themselves with the idea that this notori-
Gus abuse of the primary could be contin-
ued with impunity, but they would have
found themselves mistaken in a very brief
space. Intelligent men, finding that all
the part assigned them was to ratify at
the polls nominations of candidates in
whose selection they were practically de-
MED any part would soon cease to vote, or
would vote for such of the whole ticket
as was least Objectionable. In several of
the Southern States only a small fraction
of those qualified to vote exercise the right
of suffrage because there is only one party,
and whatever election there is is in the pri-
mary. There is danger that the same alb
senteeism from the polls would follow the
conviction on the part of voters that I'M
der a system of making nominations they
have no choice in selecting candidates.
The Joss law Is far from being what it
should be. but the Journal agrees with Mr..
r. o. Hawkins that when 10000 members
of a party go to primaries and nominate a
ticket hat gives very general satisfaction
it has some good features. The fact that
10000 Republicans went to the polls proves
that party voters are DESTROYS of taking
part in selecting candidates when there is
a reasonable certainty that reasonable fair
ness will prevail. In the larger part of
II CANS NlC plAAAdA ltS AdAAS NOl-
Quoted. In quite a number of the largest
Republican precincts 50 to 80 per cent. of the
party vote was polled. In one of the larg-
est precincts all but a dozen of the party
voted. There was greater secrecy in the
voting than prevailed in general elections
before the introduction Of the Australian
ballot system. The Joss law is a good be-
ginning.
The creation of a primary election sys-
TEN which will enable the members of both
parties to nominate the party candidates
is the most important agency of promoting
better government. 1t is as important as
the secret ballot system for elections, which
fifteen years ago was regarded by many
as impracticable. 1t is cause for encour-
agement that so many men prominent in
both parties and in other organizations
favor the reform. 1t is a most hopeful indi-
cation that the Indiana labor organizations
are in favor of a reform which will enable
the voters to start their own government
at the fountain head. Fifteen years ago
there was greater objection to the Aus
tralian ballot system. Its advocates were
told that the people would never submit
to have all the names on one ballot, printed,
paid for and distributed by the State; they
were told that free and independent voters
would never consent to take a large ballot
into a voting booth and mark it after be-
ing accustomed to the free and easy GUS
tom of taking a ballot, marking, cutting
and folding it to please themselves. One
election satisfied the mass of American
voters that the system of a secret ballot
was a far better system than the old one.
The secret ballot has found such favor
among the mass of voters that they re-
gard an open ballot in a primary as an
imputation upon its fairness. The Amer
lean people desire good government based
upon the selection of good officers by suf-
frage- They so much desire it that they
will be found ready TO have the expenses
of the primary paid. as are the expenses of
the election. out of the public treasury.
A REA EVENT.