The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-05-03
ABOUT POOR MEN.

ABOUT POOR MEN.
The article quoted and clipped from
the Homer Guardian Journal is IN line
with the views on the same subject
nomination by primary elections, elucl-
dated cdtorially in a recent issue OF the
Caucasian. As we said then, and may
rciterate now, the poor man is handy
and a ready grab-on, on which the never
weary and the unt1rng feeders expect
to hold their cribs at the public feeding.
but the poor man has been worn into
a superannuated state, into frazzles as
it were, until the poor man, as well
as the horny handed" and the honest
toilers are protesting and decline to
be the footstools of political sChemers
and of men who would reach power by
crawling over their shoulders The poor
man is no idiot, and if he is good
enough to vote at general or a special
election, when qualified, he should be
equally as good to express his opinion
and his choice at a primary election for
the nomination of officials, who are tC
exercise authority over him if they get
in. Tile poor man should insist on his
right to decide who is to be his pOlitical
boss, and as a reasonable sensible man
he should and does object to a lot of
self-cOnstituted bosses to boss him and
pick out his boss. But here is the edit
Orial of the Guardian Journal which
should be perused carefully and delib-
erately:
poor MEN
Some of the opponents of primaries
are very much concerned about the
poor. If direct primaries should be
adopted as the method of making nom-
nations no poor man, we are gravely in
formed, could be candidate for gov
ernor or for any other State office. A |
poor man, they say, could not afford the
expense of making a canvass of the |
State. Only rich men could afford the
expense of making such a canvass of |
the State as would be necessary under |
the direct primary system.
But, under a proper state of public |
sentiment, would not the candidates for |
governor and other State offices make a |
canvass Of the State, whatever might be |
the method of nominating? Would not
the people demand as much? Can intel
llgent people be expected to support |
candidate for governor and other inn
portant State Offices whom they have
not heard from on the issues of the day?
1t seems to It's that there can be only
one answer to this question. The people
will want to hear from the candidates
under any method of nominating before
the nominations are made, and thew do
hear from them in most of the states
And, II the people ought to hear from
the candidates before the nominations
are made, the canvass under the pri-
mary method need not be any more ex-
pens1veA than under the convention svs-
tenn rany other system.
The direct primary method prevails
In Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina
and other Southern States, and we have
not heard that poor men have been
thereby debarred from becoming candi-
dates in those States. There are four
candidates for governor now on the
stump in Mississippi, and certainly thew
are not all rich men. Poor men have
made no complaint against primaries If
any of the states in which they prevail
so far as we have heard
But how do poor men fare in con-
Vent1ons as rule? Are not candidates
expected to spend money rather freely
Under that method of making romina-
tons? And are the candidates entitled
to all the consideration? Are not The
voters fairly and justly entitled to some
consideration? And there can be- no ,
doubt but that the primary method is i
more convenient and less expensive than ,
the convention system for the grc.t RIA
Jerlty OF the Voters How manv DOC;
men can afford to attend conventions .
and enjoy the luxury of direct voice in ,
selecting party candidates? All can Of
lord to go to the polls and vote Under ,
the direct primary method" i
6ITTCTANA nav |,