The Yale expositor., 1903-04-03
Primary Election Reform.

! EDITOR OF ENPOSITOR:-
Many state papers are clamOring for
primary election bills. Each has plan
and each plan Is proposed as "a panacea
| for all political ills. I'm the cities where
/ tie change has been tried II is admit
! ted that the primary election has been
successful. But the important ques.
| tiOn for solution is whether tins proves
efficiency in other locations under other
conditions.
The general plan is To do away with
party caucuses. \ day Is fixed for
primary nominating election 20 take
| its place. At this nominating election
/ the electors of all parties attend
and vote for those whom they desire
10 nominate as candidates for var
iouS offices. The voting is To be
done by ballot as al general election.
Any person may become a candidate
| from any portion of the county, and
on any party ticket. Upon canvass
of the votes east, the candidate who re-
ceives the greatest number of votes for
an office he seeks becomes his party's
nominee. 20 be placed ou the ticket at
the ensuing election. This Is the gen.
eIal plan. IL is correct IN theory. Let
us consider practical results ln county
like our own where "a large portion OF
the electors are iu rural districts
10 must be admitted by all fair.miud.
ed men that there should be an equit-
able distribution of the Offices through
out the county. This Is recognized by
all parties. IL is fair TO the electors
and absolutely essential TO keep up
party interest.
Suppose there were such "a primary
election iu this county to-day. The
roads in the townships are impossible
for vehicles The weather may be wet
or disagreeable. In "A township where
the town hall is centrally located, /
the republican electors who live 4
at the corners OF the precinct must /
travel six miles 10 nominate one of .
three or four different republicans.
The average distance of travel for all
electors of the township is three miles.
Now consider conditions IN q ward in
the city of Port Huron or any other
city of "A county similarity situated. 4
The extent of the ward will not exceed
One.half mile. The greatest distance
travelled 90 a centrally located polling
place is one-half a mile. The average
distance for all electors is so rods.
There are stone sidewalks
The cities have always had and al
ways will have candidates for all the
places and there is nothing wrong I'm
that, but party management in all
parties has resulted in distribution Of
places.
But under the system proposed there
is nothing 10 prevent and there can be
nothing devised To prevent the locality
that can muster the most votes from
capturing all of the places on the ticket.
rhe candidate for sheriff IN one part OF
"A city can agree with his friends 90 sup.
port n candidate for register of deeds
In another part OF the city for similar
support, aud SO on throughout the list |
of places.
The supporters Of these candidates
can easily attend the primary after |
working hours and with uO loss Of time |
or inconvenience whatever.
Now. thc practical question Is, what |
possible chance will a candidate for |
sheriff or register of deeds who lives in |
the rural districts have i'm competing |
with city candidates under such plan? |
None whatever.
lt seems To the writer that these mat |
ters are worthy of serious cOnsidera.
tiOn. There need be ho attempt To eX-
cuse abuses that have existed IN the
caucus and convention system. But
the system has the merit of giving the
various towns representation in pro
portion Co the votes east Under the
proposed plan there are localities where
conditions are such that all nomina-
tions must 60 To u single locality and
local and party interests be wholly de-
stroyed. Yours respectfully.
lalI