Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-10-26
TIE WAY IT WoRKsIE MINNESOTA.
A Former vernen County ban Gives his 0hssrva-
tions on Primary Election,
o. q. MUNsoN, viroqua, Wisconsin.

MY DEAR SIR: Your letter inquirin
about the primary election law Of Mime
I sofa, has been received, and cheerful,
conform to your request for informa
tioa as to its practicability, Our pres
| ent primary election law has been il
/ force in Minnesota during the six year
last past. The first time it was applied
| as an experiment, TO Hennepin count,
| (Minneapolis) only 1t was next ex
| tended to the entire state of Minnesots
for all except state officers, and has now
been m use throughout the state during
the last two elections.
The expense of this system, to tbs
county and towns, is so trivial and in.
significant that no one here ever urged
objection to it ON that score after the
law was tried. The primary election is
held on the first registration day this
year September GOTH when election
Judges and clerks are required to serve
and no extra expense for them thereby
occurred. Other expenses are largely
covered by the fling fee of the candi-
dates. Whether or not this system is
more expensive to the candidates, Is a
matter difficult t. answer, although it
naturally would be. The fling fee is an
additional expense. Also under this sys-
tenn the candidates usually make Gu-
nouncenent of their candidates. in their
party newspapers in the county, OF con-
gressional district as the case may be,
and this IS an additional expense. The
candidate, under the old caucus system,
seldom found it NECESSARY OR ADVAV-
TAGEOuS to call on more than two or
three OF the leaders in any town, and
sometimes 1t was even far preferable,
and instead Of such limited canvass, that
he make some deal with certain power
ful Influences" at the county seat.
These influences would make it their
business to see to if that at a proper
time the office would seek the man.
Usually, If norebellious spirit arose, the
office would find the man The man
thus found" was expected to forever
after yield submissive loyalty and obedi-
ence to the power that seated him. II this
obedience ceased the office would seek
another man more suitable to the power.
The machine many q time failed to work
as herein indicated, but that Is charg-
able to the iucompetency OF the boss and
not to the system under which he oper-
ated Under primary election law,
where nominations are made directly
by the people, the candidates very
quickly lamble to the conclusion that
it is WELL TO CONSULT THE VOTERS
the nominations, and more
canvass of the voters ls the re-
suit From this you can form an opln-
ion whether or not the cost to the can-
di29te is increased by the paimary law,
j. Is certainly greater amount OF work
and takes more time to make a canvass
among voters generally than to private
ly consult q few politicians, but whether
it is more ''expsneive" is q matter Of
doubt
The primary election Law is just as
practicable as the Australian ballot law,
no more and no less. AS the one is to
the election, the other is to the nomina-
tion and they both belong together to
prevent abuses in the -.omination and
election of public officers. The primary
election law is a greater reform AID pre-
vents more abuses and frauds than does
the Australian ballot law, and no good
citizen would oppose that. No man, no
matter how intelligent, can 90 10 eau
Gus under our old system and know that
his vote at the caucus viii promote the
candacY Of the persons Of there are sew
crab that he desired 80 help. phile at 3
primary election, rs rs now have 1T, no
man can be % ignorant as not 70 know
h0w he ilsss voted. Under II I'D eau
Gus system it was difficD!G thing TO
get persons to attend the caucus They
would say that everything was ''cut and
dried, and so it was Nearly every
voter attends at our present primaries.
We pride oU41 Ives that this is 8 gov
ernment by the peGple," why then shut
out the people? The opponents OF the
primary law contend that the people are
not likely to nominate good officers, and
that it can be done better by few in a
I think shat I have now answered the
questions contained in your letter. In
this county there Is but little opposition
now to the primary law, and that little Is
among politicians. They as
sign many reasons, but never the true
one. They oppose the Australian ballot
law just as vigorously, and for the same
Populated centers haYe no un-
due advantage, as the people in the
towns have attended the pri-
maries about az well as they do in the
The officers seem to be distri-
buted abou6 the same as heretofore
have given you little bit Of an idea
Of the way l look at this matter. l am
fol the primary election
law providing for direct nomination Of
officers. II this is q government by the
people, then LET it he so. If 1t shoult
develope that we are incapable Of self
it viii then be time enough
to limit the franchise, forgive Abraham
Lincoln for what ne said about popular
and class ourselves with
Cuba and the Philippines.
Respectfully, Il. J. RAMsETT.
WILLMAR, MINNESOTA, Oct. 81 1904.