The Colfax chronicle., 1903-06-20
Will Our Primary Election Law
Enforce Fair Play?

comments of the Thibodaux Sentinel
on "The Primary Election Law"
which it defends against our criti-
cisms, and with which it seems to be
quite familiar. The Sentinel says the
law only needs a healthy public opin-
ion to back it and an honest endeav-
or to enforce it. Well, as yet the
"bealthy public opinion" and '.hon-
est endeavor" have not developed, al
though conditions seem to have war
ranted full employment for this most
excellent combination.
The law has been grievously viola
ted, but no prosecutions have fol-
lowed. 1t is persistently alleged that
the law is defective, can not be en-
forced, and that this is the cause of
the failure to appeal to its provis-
ions. This editor is no lawyer, and
could hardly be expected to dissect
legal technicalities and state provis-
ions OF law with great exactness, but
after reading the law in question, and
comparing it with the eulogy of the
several sections which the Sentinel
specially defends as all sufficient, We
must SAY that to our untutored mind
there still seems to be something
lacking. There is world of provis-
ion against bold bad men on the out
side, the ones least likely to attempt
fraud of any kind, but very small
provision seems to be made against
those on the inside, best able and
most likely to attempt fraud. The
battle is usually between the ins and
the outs, and most complaint arises
from the high handed acts of the po-
litical bosses and their tools. 1t is
alleged that this feature of the law
makes it Objectionable, as the power
OF the bosses is a more dangerous
and prolific source of fraud than any
and all other probable sources.
Section l of the law gives po1iti-
cal party the right to call primary
elections. make rules, and appoint
clerks and commissioners to hold the
same, but there is no penalty in case
the bosses fail or refuse to give any
candidate representation, nor has the
candidate any recourse.
Sections 3 and 5 provide no penal
ty against commissioners for wrong
fully and arbitrarily ruling against
parties justly entitled to vote, nor
have the voters any recourse against
such injustice.
Section Is, as to persons voting for
rival parties or candidates, has little
or no penalty adequate to the offense,
and it is so purile and in such shape
that there is no likelihood of it's ever
being applied to any one.
Section Is blankets a number of
trnnsgressions with the general PEN
alties provided for violating all the
provisions of the Act, but it can
hardly be held to include and apply
to the impositions here enumerated,
because of the latitude allowed the
powers that be to use their own sweet
Judgment in conducting primaries.
Now, these may or may not be se-
rious defects, and there are probably
others deeper seated and more seri-
ously impairing the laws efficacy and
enforcement, that do not appear to
the ordinary layman, but of one
thing We would like to be sure, and
that is that the law can be enforced
sufficiently to protect the public in
terest in justice and fair play.
Of course, criticism and fault-find-
ing with the law does not prove it's
weakness, nor does defense OF it en-.
force or strengthen it's provisions.-
A practical test is the only way to
prove it, and no amount of contro-
versy can settle the question.
1t is to be hoped that the law will
do all that the Sentinel claims toward
maintaining the purity OF primary
elections, and we will join hands with
our confrere in giving it q trial. if our
party authorities elect to do SO. In
the mean time, however, we insist
that public opinion and honest en-
deavor can accomplish very little
against the wiles of rascally politi-
clans without iron-clad provisions Of
law that can be enforced against
them and their satellites. If the law
has any of the weaknesses we have
been given to understand, then it is
highly imperative that those weak
nesses should be remedied. There is
no such thing as having the law too
strong and severe.
The issue in the approaching cam
paign will probably be primary or