The Saint Paul globe., 1902-11-08
POPULAR PRIMARIES WIN.

matter of immediate public in
legislation which would be enacted eff
fecting the primary law. The test to
which the new system was applied in
Tuesdays contest was sufficiently
critical and extensive to enable an en-
lightened judgment to be formed on it's
merits and demerits.
The primary system will remain.
While it is not in favor among the
leading Republican politicians of the
state, it may well be doubted whether
the majority of the incoming legislature
will consent to take the responsibility
of repeating the primary law.
The primary system ought to stand,
if the voters themselves are to con-
tinue in control of the party nomina-
tions. Otherwise, it should be repealed
forthwith. 1t must be amended, now
ever, in many particulars.
The following is a fair summary of
the substantial objections raised
against the law, and originating in
sources which may be regarded as
practically disinterested: 1t destroys,
or materially lessons, the effectiveness
of party organization. 1t often turns the
primary election into a scrub race. 1t
is expensive for the candidates, neces-
stating practically two campaigns on
the part of the nominee. 1t destroys
the secrecy Of the ballot. 1t involves
added public expense. 1t admits of the
nomination of candidates who only re-
ceive a fractional part of the vote cast.
The most serious of these objections
is the one relative to the secrecy of the
ballot. That objection is well founded
under the present system, which, in
addition is made the means of subject
ing the voter to a number of PERSONAL
ly offensive and impertinent questions.
A simple amendment would dispose of
this objection requiring the names OF
the party contestants to be printed on
separate ballots, all the ballots to be
handed to the voter with instructions
that he is only to mark one and re-
turn all the others, or else requiring
that the names of the party candidates
be printed on one ballot on separate
tions be given the voter that he is
only to vote for the candidates Of one
party With such an amendment en-
acted the system would be divested of
it's most Objectionable characteristic.
The other objections are easily dis
posed of, save alone the one relative
to the injurious effect on party Or
ganization. If the filing fee were put
I'D to $50 or $100 it would deter a num-
ber of those who enter the primary
contests for purposes of cheap adver-
tising, without preventing poor and
worthy men from aspiring to Office. In
addition to this, in case none Of the
contestants received a majority of the
votes cast at the primary, the execu-
tive committee of the candidates party
should be permitted to select that one
which it thought strongest among the
first three, or else arrangements should
be made for another contest between
the two highest, as now prevails in
| Southern communities. The corrupt
practices act may be referred to as
presenting in itself an adequate reme-
| dy for the objection that the candi-
dates expenses are made too high.
Active party managers naturally OBJ
ject to the law, and their objections
| are entitled to be heard. Take the sit
uation. for instance, in this county dur
| ing the last campaign. The contest
was a purely personal one. 1t had sub
stantially no direction save such as
the party newspapers gave it, and such
as the fears or hopes of the several
candidates made necessary. Party sol
| idarity there was little display of, and
candidates made their still hunts, in
some cases to the detriment of candi-
dates of the same party running for
other offices. Party organization is
simply rendered impossible by such
practices, and party managers should
be ready with some reasonable amend.
ment, which will not injuriously af
| feet the principle of the law.
If the next legislature will take note
| of the objections above specified, and
make provisions against them, safe
guarding the secrecy of the ballot at
all hazards, the law can be made to
meet all the demands of clean poll
tics and good citizenship.