The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-25
PRIMARY ELECTIONS AGAIN

PRIMARY ELECTIONS AGAlN
IA great deal has been made Of the de-
feet in the primrry election system which
sometimes results In the nominee OF
party being minority candidate, since
plurality of votes nominates, and there
may be enough candidates in the field TO
make the plurality a small minority. we
have the same defect in our final election
system. Of late years, for instance,
majority governor has been something
rare in Minnesota. p.
Nor Is the defect such a very grave one,:
when it Is reflected that 1t often happens
that convention manipulation causes
majority Of nominating convention to
place on the ticket man who is palpably
unsatisfactory to the mass of the party.
Such results are common. They are GER
tainly no better than nomination by
system which shows that the man chosen
has more friends and supporters than
those not chosen.
But. inasmuch as the primary election
system is designed to be an Improvement
on the old system, 1t is not sufficient to
say that it is no worse in some respects
than the old.
The defect referred to could be remedied
by adopting the system the French have
in their parliamentary elections, whereby
all members Of parliament must be ma
jority choices. This end is arrived at by
having two election days. On the first
only candidates receiving majority are
declared elected. The leading candidates
In other cases are balloted for at the sec
ondary election. Applying this system to
the primary election scheme, a candidate
for nomination not having a majority,
though having plurality, would be COM
PEELED to contest at another election, say
q week later, with the candidate having
the next highest standing. The objection
of adding another election, and the at
tendant expense and annoyance to the
public, are, perhaps, insuperable obstacles
to the adoption of such plan here. j..
The Pioneer Press suggests that the old
convention system be engrafted on the
present primary system, delegates to be
elected at the same time candidates are
balloted for, these delegates to form a
party convention to provide r for party
management and enunciate party position.
and to nominate candidates in case the
primaries do not give majorities. If ma
iorities are given the convention is mere
ly to register the will Of the voters
So far as the need Of conventions to
formulate political dogma and direct
party organization is concerned Minnesota
has not greatly suffered from the intro
duction of the primary system. The state
Offices being left to conventions. there re-
mains basis for county conventions and
organization in the selection Of delegates
to the state convention. The chief loss
) from abandonment of conventions is IN
the congressional districts, where there is
on which the candidate shall stand. The
result is that candidates for nomination
are drawing for themselves platforms on
which they purpose to stand before and
after nomination. Nomination implies in
dorsement of the candidates personal
platform by the party.
Il The Wisconsin scheme was for the
voters of assembly districts to- choose
messengers or delegates who were to as
semble at the capitol to canvass the re-
turns on the state ticket and draw up q
platform and provide for party manage
ment.
The Minnesota primary election system
is far from perfect, and time will suggest
and give many beneficial changes, but the
basic idea is essentially right, and all its
present defects are more than offset by
the new interest shown by the electoral
masses in the primaries.