The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-12-18
Edi +0riGI o0nne.0+ I.
"Primdry Reform. -

The sentiment Tor primary election
law in Michigan is on the increase, and
it is more than probable that some
measure of this kind will be enacted by
the next legislature, and it now looks
like foolishness on the part of those
who are honestly opposed to such law
to longer "kick against the pricks."
The True Northerner does not now,
and never has believed in the advisable
ity of measure along the lines of the
late Colby bill, for two principal reasons:
First, it would give an undue amount of
influence to the cities in state politics,
TO the large counties in congressional
nominations, and to the villages and
cities in county affairs; second, it would
eliminate entirely the factor of second
choice in nominations, and would fire.
suently nominate man who was plu-
rality choice, and to whom a majority of
the party were violently opposed.
Nevertheless, if the people want the
law, we are willing to submit gracefully
10 Lu6 Will VI IllO uidJOliIg'
To us, the strange part of the whole
matter is that, as evidenced by the &C
ton of the State Grange and Farmers
Clubs at Lansing last week, the farmers,
the very men whose identity and influ-
ence would be largely lost under di-
rect nomination system, seem to be ar
IDENTIFY in favor of the innovation.
OF course the State Grange had per.
feet right to express its favor of pri.
mary election law, and was strictly
within its proper sphere in doing so. But
it went to unreasonable and unreason-
ing extremes in some of its actions Note
the following from the report of the ex-
uecutive committee:
1--WE ascertained what individuals be-
longing to the incoming legislature were
members of our order. We did this so
that we might have our advocates on
the floor of both house and senate. We
found that we had able men in both
bodies, men who wished to know what
measures the State Grange stood for, and
who asked the privilege of champloning
lIlOSt IltdSuItS. lis lIllN litEt W 40
cheerfully granted and had it not been
abused 10y some in the senate and had
they been true to their obligations an d
not have listened to the voice of the po-
litical siren, the history of primary cleo
ton reform might have had a different
ending"
If it were true that there was any
thing in the obligation of a Granger
which happily there is not, making it in
eumbent on him to be governed in his
official actions by the State Grange, it
would be a dangerous thing to elect mem
besr of the order to office, just as it woulC
members of any other oath bound secret
society that might seek to dictate pub
lie affairs No such duty did, or will in
the future devolve on members of The
Grange, and no member of the late leg
islature abused any privilege or wa
false to the order for doing what he con
ceived his duty to be, what he under
stood his constituents wanted done, re
CARELESS of any action of the State
Grange, either prior or subsequent t
his election.
We believe the. best primary Law
would be one supplanting the caucu.
system only, and to such a measure W,
would lend our hearty support. The
eaucuses, the real present primaries
are the source of existing corruption il
our politics, and should be succeeded by
some better system. However, it seems
the people want the convention to g
also, and we can only say that, in fran
ing the law that will be enacted by tn,
next Legislature, we hope the utmost
caution will be used, and that conserva.
tive counsel will prevail, ra ther than
giving way to the extremists.
And in any event, we trust several
iniqutous features of the Colby bill will
never be resuscitated
-. II 4 n 4