The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-02-20
Has the Right Ring.

Has the Right Ring.
No one can mistake the position of
Senator Cook upon the question of
primary elections if they read carefully
his views as expressed to the Detroit
Tribune. That his views are endorsed
by the people of this county is shown by
the fact that the movement has been
endorsed several times in conventions
and club gatherings The Tribune ar
ticle is as follows:
Amid all the specious arguments be-
ing invented against a real primary
election law to apply to the whole state
of Michigan, the remarks of Senator
Albert B. Cook, of Owosso, who repre-
sents Ingham and Shiawassee counties,
were worthy Of special attention The
senator is practical farmer and ex-
president of the State Association of
Farmers clubs, and it may fairly be
presumed knows what he is talking
about on primary election sentiment in
the rural districts.
This so-called opposition in the
townships to primary election does not
come from the practical, plain, eyery-
day farmer, who makes up 30 per cent
of our rural population, he said to The
Tribune this morning. "All the noise
comes from the political agriculturists
and a very small minority of the non
political farmers, just as there is a
minority on any question that was ever
conceived since the birth of man. In
this case the minority is unusually
small The every day farmers l have
referred to are almost unit in favor of
primary election.
They feel, of course, that they want
safe, equitable and effective law as
the republican party's platform saws.
but they do not interpret this to mean a
law so safe that it will preclude all
chance OF nominating their state officers
by direct vote OF the people. If primary
election means anything, it means some
thing more than weak -kneed rearrange
ment OF the delegate convention system
"a system which has not covered the
good name of the party with glory in
recent political history. 1t is reform in
the nomination of state officers around
which the agitation among the farmers
for primary election has arisen, but
they are ready to give it trial right
down the column from governor to
coroner.
You ask me what is the duty of the
legislator in such situation as has
arisen in the state legislature. l take
it, it is this: We all admit that primary
election bristles with difficulties that
would threaten to battle the best judicial
minds, as far as completely satisfac-
tory solution of them is concerned. |
Was ever great reform instituted that |
that every cog in the machinery was
found to work perfectly ON the first
trial? Is it not the legitimate function
OF the legislator, is it not imperative
~,HN@& NAfAAi' w SiNO LID UUG
best possible primary election law he
can? If he must concede some things
that do not exactly meet his views at
every trivial point, does that warrant
his opposition to the entire measure
which proposes to give his constituents
the opportunity they crave of nominal
ing candidates by direct voter
Counties, practically united, are
asking for primary election law. Let
us give it them.
But let us remember that the whole
state is entitled to what they are asking,
and more The State Grange, the State
Association of Farmers Clubs, the
Michigan League of Republican Clubs
the republican party of this state in con-
vention assembled, have declared un-
equivocally for primary election. The