The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-22

Will VttubbVhOi1
Democrats and Republicans
Declare Measure Should
Be Amended
1t is the opinion of many Of the men
who dabble in politics that the primary
! election of Tuesday developed facts
that will ultimately result in the rad
zeal amendment or entire repeal of the
direct primary law, it having been
shown among other things that per-
sons of the opposite political faith find
| 1T easy to participate in making NOM
nations for the opposition party
This was the principal objection to
the old convention system, it being
CANNED that number of Democrats
and republicans in each precinct could
control the delegates to both conven-
tons without effort. For the primary
law 1t was claimed, when it was pass
ed by the legislature, that it would
remedy the defect mentioned.
Objections to the law does not come
from any one party, the Republicans
being fully as emphatic as are the
Democrats. A point that is just now
receiving attention is that under the
law it is possible for a Democrat to
run as Republican, or VICE versa,
whereas under the convention plan no
person would have the temerity to pro-
Hoo "a
| nomination.
The direct primary law was passed
by the legislature in 1901, being faith
cred by W. w. Dunn, then in the house
| of representatives, but now state SEN
ator from the Thirty-third district It
was first tried in ST. Paul at the mu-
nicipal election in 1900, and at each
succeeding election its unpopularity has
apparently been on the increase.
interviews with a number of persons
who criticise the law follow:
Judge John w. WiIlis-Whiie I be-
ileve in the principle of the primary
election law, / am convinced that.
amendments are needed. Any dissat-
lsfaction that may be felt concerning
the primary system in Minnesota at
present must be laid to the fact that
1t Is new and that the public is not yet
sufficiently familiar with it to have 1t
operate with entire success The
election of Tuesday brings out the
need OF amendments, especially those
presented by Representative Downing
at the last session of the legislature.
Candidates for the judiciary should
have the privilege of having their
names on the ballots of both parties.
| and should any one candidate receive
majority of the votes on both tickets;
h a
nations. The nominations made by
the Democrats are good and are
worthy of the support of every Demo-
crat, though I sincerely depiore the!
failure of the Democrats to nominate
candidate for congress. $3.50 j.
City Clerk Redington-Having never
believed in the direct primary l. am.
not surprised at the defects that have
been discovered in it's workings 1t
| always seemed to me that it was USE
less to compel candidates to go.
through two campaigns, increasing the
| expense and disrupting party ma :
chinery. To my way of thinking it:
would be just as well to make the pri-
mary an election and allow the men,
getting the greatest number of votes
to have the offices. Another feature
is that the direct primary makes. it,
impossible to distribute the Offices
eauitably to the different sections Of
the city.
Frank Haskell, Republican Nominee
for the Legislature From the Sixth
| Ward-It has been proved that the
law does not prevent voting for friends
| in the opposite party.
| 7. j. Knox, Member of the State
| Statute Revision Commission - The
| only hope for the law is that the fell
lows who are in will determine it's fu-
ture They are the ones who have
prof1ted by its provisions.
Frank A. Day, Chairman of Demo-
cratic State Central Committee-Just
| at this time the Objectionable features
| of the law seem to stand out more
strongly than its good features The
| fact that one party can force upon an
| other the party nomination of unde-
! sirable men is alone enough to- con-
denim It, or to demand very material
| changes in the law.
C. D. O'Brien-I have never been in
| favor of the law, and see nothing in
| its recent operations to convince me
that have been mistaken.
e. 3. Lott, Deputy State Labor Conn
| missioner-The primary election law is
right in principle, but it should be
amended in some particulars before 1t
| is really an ideal statute.
/ w. &. Verify, Secretary Republican
State Central Committee-As one of
the originators of the law, feel that
/ have a right to criticise it. The law
came into being in Minnesota as Ia
bor- saving device for newspaper men,
| but when at its first trial it resulted in
I giving the Republicans of Minneapolis
| Dr. A. A. Ames as candidate for
mayor I thought it was a pretty bad
taste of the new law. 1t has good
features, but It is expensive and cum
bersome, destructive of party harmony
and party organization. should like
! to see it at least materially modified
Edward G. krahmer, County Auditor
lon the whole,@I think the primary
law is avery good one. Still, its franz
ers certainly did not intend that the
! members of one political party should
| have a share in making nominations
for the other party. This has hap
/ pened. as everyone believes, since the
/ present law went into effect. How the
trouble can be remedied 1 couldn't sug-
i gest, except that we might enforce
the law more rigidly. 1t seems to me
that if the provisions respecting party
j affiliations were strictly enforced the
nominations for each party would then
! be made, as they should be made, by
! bona fide members of that party. But
even If some amendment will be found
necessary to prevent, in practice, any
| interference by members of another
party. the law, l believe, will eventually
be made proof against criticism The