Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-05-31
'IGS FROM NJ -,
ri PRIMARY la v.
n. Pioneer Press is Now
n. s.r for Local Applioa-
',' ton Of System
; STRONG REASONS.
hon, Must Continue in the
...,s,,ionaI Districts and
h, State at Large.
STRONG REASONS.
n9I1y RULE NOT GIVEN
-, No Way for AscertRlning
+ ,fthe Party Who's Several
,..d,datea are Proposed.
..l nisnatch to the Sentinel.

sNed mi -s
..,. Dispatch to the Sentinel.
afs< on Mimi. May 10.-Evidence ac-
,s 10 prove that sentiment in
sto on the subject Of the primary
tlinatiol, nrobIom is changing. The re-
1 hallo United in the Sentinel some time
thu "a, Io results Of a careful canvass
lnaint BUSINESS uu plUi eSSto 'h;ob ien n NJ
laaelin III t''u tIo drift Of popular sent
liadrant S' tS hos" cities was away from the
the mi 5,.on to further extend the appli-
If the Minnesota primary election
III. has not been disputed. Now comes
80 ~ Paul Pioneer Press, one of the
'ssstaslu. that most ably Championed the
efangi n primary elections in Minnesota,
o bro, ,rrtariIy acknowledges that it has
aI its opinion on the subject.
nh be remembered that the first
k1VW rr election law in Minnesota was
neld for the purpose Of making a test
ties al application of the principle. This
Ion. IS, ~, made applicable to Hennepin
.faa sr0n.r including the city Of Mime
After one trial in that county
81 gl0turc extended the law to en-
ere len the entire state, and since that
latIon mmuatons have been made in
1fore Paul. Duluth and other cities of that
rnlcr the law. No general test,
or has been made throughout the
On the contrary, at the special
1of the Legislature held last winter
= VO nnImcut was offered and carried
neFs exempted cities of less than 10000
laftiei tl9s from the operation Of the
II val he contention being that the ex-
III n incident to primary elections in
n cities and political subdivisions
~ az prove to be an unnecessary bur-
nitteg
hee nifty and County Officers Only.
81 nonocr Press now suggests that
eouli tIcrrs members Of Congress and
andia ulcers, whose districts comprise
fyi Diam one county shall be nominal
81 IA party conventions, while retaining
y "mary election method of making
\ mto05 for municipal and county
mmA II RECOGNIZES the disorganizatiOn
would result were parties deprived
I IA nmtUuitics to hold conventions ut
III representatives., duly elected for
~ purpose, may meet and promulgate
oAa Platforms, and it also appreciates
4 necessity of maintaining the dele
ontA system of making nominations
i M the district to be represented is
cup Of more than one county.
~ opinion of the Pioneer Press,
me- appears in the editorial columns
n 5@ paper under the heading, Ode
uH o' the Primary Election Law" Is
ia hIows:
v. e. s. Crandall OF Owatonnn, In
~ mnnjration printed in another col
n urges what he regards as a very
IT'D rs objection to the primary cleo
I'D law This is that 1t restricts the
"a n Of voters to those self-appointed
a@otrtrs- usually office seekers-who
T. willing to put themselves forward
taa oo5dotcs and pay the required fee
iM ming Jho!r certificates. So that the
TN oN of either party have no choice
n r.t To vote for one of these office
ing candidates. This objection seems
n 'r we'll taken as far az 1t goes, and
a'@rs to be worthy OF consideration In
"a awnon with what seems to the Pho
~ iFosS far more serious objection.
4 Dies Not Carry Ont Will of Majority
q This is that the primary election law
y "HoS no way Of ascertaining the will
n Tue majority of the voters Of either
IVY when q number of candidates for
N| nomination present themselves.
Il o@o the vote OF the party is so divided
8.' neither candidate has a majority,
n imposes upon the party as it's candi-
VIZ '1e choice Of n minority, perhaps
4 j small minority of voters. The law
4 .a l> 0d right when there are only two
.-"I8'oS for the nomination Of the
g..'-9S was the case on the Demo
1.N IdN of the recent election in this
VI. Smith was nominated by n large
pHtI over his only opponent, Wagon
10 ,'At there was no question that he
PAW, ..n choice, Of his party. But there
,tr, I'VE Republican candidates, who d.
~ hetwoon them the $685. votes cast
y" ruoIc0n voters, as follows: Doran,
W.. Meter, 1897; Warner 1907; Leigh
ao, .-'g y; Ncng, go: RObillard 1870. Al
I%a horan was thus q minority c8ndi-
,.g Fc was SO far in the lead over the
.@ th9t there was no complaint that
~ w Gt'S not the choice OF the majority
us party. He had 80 per cent. of
,,. .H'GNGhNCan votes, but he would
T., lgve been nominated If he had
U"'J ~ per cent. of the votes. 1t
~ very doubtful whether either Of the
,, candldot~~ for the Republican
r-,t,,'oation would have polled n stronger
.,r, It - election.
II LIE one point Of superiority possessed
tm- ", convention over the primary sys-
,,,.. choosing candidates Is that the
,,"re OF the former must receive the
nj. o'I or q majority of the delegates.
a.. IS usually. or Mt least often. arrived
u by IogrolIing combinations Of the sup
al .''S or the candidates for different
KITS It is because the candidates Sc
3g..,. IN this way were often the acct
s> or those trading combinations ra-
~, man the choice OF the voters that
~., .F'Nary election was hailed as n
,,-,rS Of oscPrtaining the will OF the
f,l NY direct vote. But II the prac-
a, result - to ascertain only the choice
sf,,., minority Of the party the primary
a, Inv falls TO accomplish one Of
H., yn'f objects of its enactment.
,s,. ,.nr these defects Of the law can he
,,~ nv" or are minor evils inseparable
= .,, NN system, which 1t would be wise
,rn, ''' IN order to get rid Of greater
p, question which requires care
.r, 0Stderation.
,.... 1eSH ore not the only defects Of the
v F, election law as IL stands. some
-,sr. Yen have from time to time been
e-.l, ont in these columns rs being
n ~ ny amendment The system is
rR:,I, ,,Nment, and in the brief first trial
b.. :. ms been given r It Ia no wonder
on, . mas developed imperfectious. The
;.- 'NnheS only to candidates for
,.' county Offices and for Congress.
%; nor extended to state Offices. The
}a W. FtSS was of the opinion when
'o, insure was before the Legislature
a.,, . should have embraced the candi-
, =, 'qqr all Offices excont the President
ia,rp. | nited States. Upon mature con-
;ar,, ,'lnn, and in the light Of such expe-
b.. rs has been had, II has corrected
-b,.L view. 1t is exceedingly doubtful
A,,r, the primary election system
ic;n,, he anDlied to any other than mu-
h , and county Offices The CITY or
.lhtF may be regarded rs a homo
..,. political unit, analogous to the
,ar,c1 England town meeting. 1t may,
III re- perhaps properly dispense
ao,l. 'he delegate convention. and its
,.+,- assembled Mt the polls may get
,or y' results on voting directly for those
s. TT,tNh to nominate. There is the
, Erection to this because there are
oo r.@9Fly issues involved in city or county
a. ions; even though the contest Is car
noe On by party organizations on party