The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-16
REPUBLICAN CITY CONVENTION.

II the Journal had known that it was the
intention of the Republican city central
committee to call the city convention at so
early a date as March IS it would have
advised against the action on general
grounds and for some special reasons. In
the first place it does not seem necessary
or wise to make a municipal campaign so
long. AS the election will not occur till
October IL, there will be more than six
ton and the election. The tendency in re-
cent years has been towards late conven-
tons and brief municipal campaigns as
relief both to the people and to candidates.
Two years ago the Republican nominating
primaries were held on July %, and the
Democratic primaries on Aug. 26, making
the campaign practically less than two
months. This was found long enough to
tax the energies Of those engaged in active
politics and for the people to inform them
selves regarding the situation. The Journal
is unable to see that either public or party
interests require a return to the old-time
and nearly obsolete policy of long munic
ipal campaigns, and 1T would regret to see
the action of the committee this year be-
come a precedent for future ones.
In addition to the general reasons against
long municipal campaigns the committee
might have taken official notice of the fact
that there were special reasons this year
for not inviting criticism of it's methods
from any class of voters. A good many
Republicans who were disappointed at the
fate of the new primary election bill in
the Legislature were displeased at the
meager notice given in the call for the
election of precinct committeeman. 1t was
not unusual to hear from Republicans the
remark that the manner in which the pri-
maries were called looked like an attempt
to take "snap judgment" Party managers
should try not to incur that sort of criti-
cism, and if it arises they should try and
allay it, or give 1t time to die out. There
is reason to fear that calling the conven-
ton so early, more than six months before
the election. without any apparent good
reason for departing from the practice of
recent years, will increase the criticism in
stead Of allaying it. The committee may
have had good reasons for calling so early
a convention, but the Journal believes 1t
has erred. Mayor Bookwalter, who is a
candidate for denomination and at present
without any open opposition. has stated
publicly on various occasions that he was
in favor of the nomination being made by
the direct primary system. The committee
had an undoubted right to overrule the
mayors expressed preference in this regard
and to call delegate convention as early
as it pleased. but there are many Republic
ans who think 1t has exercised its power
unwisely. Perhaps on reflection the COM
mittee will conclude that it has acted
hastily and that, instead of early a
convention, 1t would be better to hold nom-
mating primaries four five months
hence, after the present criticism shall have
| subsidized and when nominations can be
made that will be above any suspicion of
! unfairness. If upon reflection the committee
should conclude to adhere to the conven-
ton plan of nominating. the Journal still
thinks the date of the convention should
| he nostnoned several months