The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1903-02-20

the requisite knowledge nor desire to
select candidates for his party to fill the
ticket. He may be, and probably is. in
terested in one, two or perhaps more,
persons. but he is willing that the choice
nt the rest shall be made by others who
know more about the characters, capa-
bilities and avaiIabilities of candidates
who are strangers to him. The voter
concedes that different localities should
be represented, but he neither wants to
have people from another locality inter-
tere with the candidates from his locality,
nor yet does he care to select candidates
from far-off places. He wants a good
ticket as whole, and he is neither cap
able nor desirious of selecting from am.
bilious candidates who are otherwise
strangers to him.
9th: The primary election has been in
use in several eastern states for score
or more Of, years. 1fitwas the great po-
litical ''cure-all' that it is said to be, it
would have become universal in all. the
nor liern states before this. Pennsylvania
has the primary system IN local option
form. S0melocalities adopt it and some
reject it.. One party in place may have
it and the opposing party in the same
place not have It. They can and often
do change from one system to the other.
Mr.. Quay, who is conceded to be the
biggest political boss" in the country,
thrives in Pennsylvania. We have asked
many people from those states having
primary law. and they have all agreed
that party bossism and party corruption
was not in any way prevented by prim.
airy election.
9th: The primary election gives the
opportunity for members Of the demo-
cratic party to control the nominations in
the republican party, and vice versa.
Under our present caucus law, if the
democrats attempted to swamp repub-
Iican caucus, the regular republicans
would hold another caucus and the con-
vention would throw out the nominees
OF the democrats and admit tue others.
In the primary there would be no chance
for this, nor even an opportunity for a
hearing. The decision at the primary is
final, even it made by the opposing
party.
Conclusions: No evil of the caucus
system is cured by the primary system.
A convention OF representatives from all
parts Of an election district can, and gen.
orally do. make better selections OF can
didates than can be done by the indivld.
ual voter who has tojudge from limited
knowledge of the qualifications Of pro.
posed candidates: 'sroyi1gg The present
system bad does not prove the. primary
system better. welpoint out evils in
The primary system we are told that the
same detects are in the caucus plan. But
Yhat we want and what everybody else
wants, is something better; otherwise
'fheleis no reason for change. We
know that this paper is one Of very few
which Oppose the primary law. but we
have many times stated our objections
and cited instances to prove our position
and we say, that il no case have these
arguments been refuted, or examples
controverted. The only argument, from
the other side Is that the present system
Is bad. Yes there is another, that only
corrupt politicians oppose the primary
law. But they don't state how the new
system IS to change the nature or lessen
the opportunities Of the aforesaid corrupt