The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-03-11
Remember the Main Issue.

Remember the Main Issue.
From the Cadillac News and Express.
keep the main issue in mind sug
gests the Detroit Tribune in connection
with some advice that paper seeks to
give concerning state affairs. The Tri-
bune further inquiries, "Why do the
people of Michigan want primary cleo
ton reform?" The Tribune probably
answers the question to its own satisfac-
ton, but it leaves this phase of the
question untouched: The people of
Michigan want primary reform in order
to prevent the wholesale purchase and
debauchery of the primaries in some of
the cities and in many southern Michigan
counties as was done in the demoraliz
ing gubernatorial canvass of four years
ago. Those who were readers of the
Tribune al that time will remember
that day after day it was told that
agents of the several candidates were
circulating through the country dis
tricts of Washtenaw, Monroe, Lenawee.
Kalamazoo and other important counties
of that section, making preparations
through the liberal and improper use of
money to control the township eau
cuses for their different employers.
1t was assumed that if they could secure
the township delegates they could con-
troll the county and district and state
conventions, and so far as experience
could suggest their assumptions were
correct. That which seems to be lack
ing in the Tribupe's present primary
reform plan is that it takes little or no
note of the fact that the vote buyer
usually goes to the primaries as he did
four years ago, to buy votes and to
secure advantage for his candidate,
and that when the county and district
and state conventions are disposed of
there will be absolutely no appeal or
any hope of escape from the man who
is willing and able to buy and the men
who are willing to sell their time and
their influence to the highest bidder.
Most of the primary election discussion
seems to be based on the assumption
that vote buying will disappear if the
first action of the voter is made final and
all further delegate assemblages are dis
pensed with. Surely this expectation is
not based on past experience. Those
who remember the tales that were told
of farmers being hired by the day to
haul voters to town caucuses and of
small industries in some of the villages
being stopped while wages went on for
MI the employees in order that their
votes might be cast indirectly for some
of the wealthy candidates for governor,
will hardly share in the belief that do
ing away with state conventions will
give the benefit expected. A plainly
worded and easily understood law max
ing it crime punishable with imprison-
ment and loss of citizenship forever to
give or accept money for time spent in
going to caucuses or primary elections
or to pay or receive salaries for
managing political campaigns and for
rounding-up voters in behalf of certain
candidates, would do more in the direc-
ton desired than is promised through
present primary reform plans The fact
Of the matter is that some of the loud
est calls for primary!reform come from
those who have been the most fragrant
&c .,fo nd -,xats
that law proposes to maintain. Some
men in the state of Michigan whom 1t
is known are always on the alert to at
tach themselves to schemes yielding
grating profits and to individuals and
10 persons that will pay them for their
slime and influence" are now active
and aggressive in their demands for the
entire abolition of county and district
and state conventions
Perhaps they are in earnest in their de-
sire for reform. Possibly they have
tired of their former disreputable
course and intend to retire from the un-
fortunate service they have heretofore
enlisted in, but it may be little risky
and unwise to take all this for granted.
II their former work is to be continued,
if money is to be spent in the future as
in the past to control nominations, is it
Mt all probable that the very means
through which such efforts have most
thrived in the past can be utilized to
entirely prevent them in the future?
No sacrifice can be too great, no expert
ment too extreme, if through them the
elimination of the buyers and sellers in
party and political affairs can be accom-
plished, but it certainly is serious
question as to whether an extreme
which includes all the risk and gives
bsmise of so little gain should be fully
and finally adopted at this time.
Charles Taylor, formerly of Owosso,
is now running hotel at jennings
Mont.