Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1904-10-06
Direct Primaries.

: | organ III tDe w lScOHSlH stdiWdIts,
thinks that The Tribune underesti-
mated the stalwarts when it said
j., that their WY of arguing againt IA
direct primary law was to accuse
La Toilette Of ambition. The stall
warts, 1t appears, would be against a
direct primary law even if La Foil
cite had never been born, and they
would know why they were against
it. Their reasons would amount in
number to at least fifteen. Here fol-
low those reasons with comment:
> /. Because the voters cannot have personal
knowledge of the comparative fitness of the
candidates with whom they are not acquainted
and are In da, ger of voting for persons un-
worthy of trust and who would not. If known,
command their confidence and support.
Under the convention system the
voters have to elect delegates to the
convention. In case the delegates
are pledged to certain candidates
the voters have to choose between
those candidates. So even under the
convention system the voters may
have to make the tremendous intel
Iectual effort of which the Sentinel
believes them incapable. But in
most cases, it IL true the delegates
are not pledged. Then the voters
have to form an opinion with regard
to the personal qualifications of each
delegate. This process is ms much
portion as there are more delegates
than offices. Under the direct prim-
airy system the voters nominate the
one man. Which system demands
more of the voters?l
Because the direct primary system neces-
sariIy keeps out of Office everybody but Office
seekers and tends to swell the number of that
class.
| Pretense aside, the office doesn't
seek the man once in thousand
times. The man seeks the office. Is
it better that he should seek it from
boss or from the people?l
Because the expense of making a canvass
to secure u nomination is practical bar to
poor man,
/ On the contrary, money will buy
"a boss far quicker than whole
| electorate
Because II gives the rich an advantage
over the poor.
See No. B.
/
minorities which. in case large number of
candidates for one Office, might be only a
small fraction of the people.
| Is it seriously contended that boss
nominations are made by majorities?
In Chicago tie boss nominations in
the senatorial districts are often so
made that not a hundred people in
the district has ever before heard
the candidates name.
6 Because it subjects the people to the an
noyance and burden of two campaigns instead
of ont.
! The bosses who ut preseut,relieve
the people of the annoyance and bur.
den of going to the primaries have
charged such an excessive price for
their time that the people are driven
now to doing their work themselves. !
7 Because IL secures to men in Office q man
ifeSt advantage over new men and prevents
rotation,
| In other words if a man proves
his fitness the people will keep him
in office. The politicians will not be
able to throw him out because he
would not play with them.l
Because it takes from the people the
right to draft their own platforms and confers
that power ON candidates, which is putting the
cart before the horse. The people should new
er render the authority TO make their own
platforms aud require the candidates to stand
ON them and carry them out.
If the people now make their own
platforms and if the stalwarts of
Wisconsin had not repudiated sever
al platforms this argument would
mean something. Under direct
primary system the candidates
would have TO announce their opin-
ions and if they failed to live up to
those opinions their next appeal to
the people would have its inconven-
fences and embarrassments.
BECAUSE the alrocatjon of thn star, com
yeption would mean the disiutegratiou and
disruption of party organization.
% II would. OF the present kind of
Z organization. Ofthe slush fund, pad
, ded payroll organization. But
there would be different and better
kind Of organization. People with
identical opinions will always or
! gani1e.l
10 Because It enables men who could not
get home endorsement 10 seek office with
The same prospects Of success as men in good
standing If they have the money to place
their workers Ia the field
4 man is in far more need OF a
"home Endorsement" when his neigh
/ bors vote on him than when he is
picked by the boss.l