The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1904-04-09
NOMINATING MACHINERY.

almost ceased TO be deliberative as
semblies. Some counties have fallen
into the custom OF holding primary
elections for state offices the same as
for county offices, and nearly all Of those
that stick to the old delegate conven-
tion plan have fallen into the habit
Of giving ironclad instructions, which
makes the delegate to a state con-
vention little more than a message
bearer. Up to this time only one
county In Missouri has chosen an
un%instructed delegation for the JEFF
erson City Convention. Events are
%transpiring rapidly now, and it is not
at all improbable that by the time
the convention OCCURS the majority
OF the instructed delegates will not
represent the deliberate choice of the
people. In this county is to be found
a large number Of men who prefer
CAN'T first and Reed second, or CAN'T
frstand Folk second, or Folk first
and CAN'T second, or Reed first and
CAN'T second, besides those who
think that they should all be thrown
overheard in the interest Of harmony.
Nc one Of the present candidates prob
ably has a clear first choice majority in
this county. After twenty or thirty
counties choose their delegates the
remaining counties will not so much
make their choice from the field as
their choice among the leaders.
Neither the primary plan nor the
precinct convention plan as con.
Quoted in these latter days leaves
much discretion with the state con-
vention delegates. They render cam
paigning exceedingly onerous upon
the candidates and provoke local
strife and bitterness within the
parties. No one can question the
fact that Judge CAN'T had a much
larger personal acquaintanceship 10
the beginning Of the campaign than
any other one Of the candidates. He
had a much larger list Of warm per
sonal friends. But with either the
primary system or the precinct con-
vention system as now conducted,
Judge CAN'T could hope for no In
strueted delegates, unless he resigned
his office, hurried over the state
speaking two or three times a day,
gathered a big campaign fund with
which to conduct a publication
bureau, and sent out hordes Of mis-.
sionaries, both exhorters and organ
izers. We had the deliberative con-
vention once and found it faulty. AL
things human are. But have We
improved our condition by the
ehange9 Is 1t possible for a man In
these days to get himself before the
people-all the people-in such 1
way as to win a nomination by pri
Q mary elections or instructed delegate
q conventions without having behinS
him a vast and powerful organization
which Is destined to be as great al
I incumbrance after election as it wa
. a convenience before?
Q We will get dissatisfied with thu
present plan in a few years and maxi
o another change. There is no suel
? thing as reversion in political evolu
+ tion 1t is more than likely we will
n try simultaneous primaries all owe
Z the state. Some want this now
s When this change comes every con
~servative and Independent statesmaI
4 Of the type Of CAN'T and DeArmon'
will be eliminated from public life
Nobody can then be chosen but me
OF the type Of Dick Kerens and BIZ
Phelps-men who can effect powerfu
i organizations and spend barrels G
money keeping themselves before tn
Il public.