The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-12-23
owosso, FRIDAY. DEC. 80, 1904.
The New Legislature and Primary Re-
form.

The New Legislature and Primary Re-
If there is one matter more than any
other about which the incoming legis-
lature is expected to exercise itself that
matter is primary reform.
The republican state convention
promised primary reform measure
with unmistakeable explicitness The
campaign was fought out in the state
on the promise of the best primary re-
form measure which the combined Leg
islative wisdom of the party could de-
Q.
my, perhaps even majority of the
srs of the legislature itself, were
ID on explicit promises to their con-
tents that they would work for the
primary election laws which could
ought out.
nd in the face of a great popular
NOR for primary election reform, a
,,lamor which was of course greatly
augmented by the democrat party in
the state which sought to ride into
Office on the wave of primary reform
in the face of all this clamor the people
decided to entrust the matter to the re-
publican party.
The TIMES believes that the inten-
tions of the republican legislators-elect
are just as clean cut now as they were
before the election. 1t believes that
they honestly intend to work for and
vote for the best primary election law
that they can devise. And it believes
that they will provide such measure.
The exact measure or kind of meas
ure which the legislature is called on
and is pledged to secure for the people
is not precisely defined. One thing was
however, definitely enough settled by
the people themselves in the election.
That is that at this session "a primary
election law making the new system
compulsory on the entire state is not
called for. The democrats made that
and the nomination of all state officers
by the direct ballot the chief point at
issue in the state campaign and were
defeated by an overwhelming majority.
This is not saying that in few years
from now, after the new system has |
been further tried out, the people may |
not ask for this plan also, but it is not !
asked for at the present time. What is
now plainly demanded and what has
been plainly promised is the opportun-
ity to fairly try out the new system
under the most favorable plans that can
be devised. This should be considered
a sacred obligation on the part of every
legislator elect in the state Further
than this they are not now called on to
go. Less than this they cannot do
without violating the confidence of the
electors who committed this trust to
them.
Let the legislature do the best it can
and prepare the way for getting the best
out of the new system that there is in
It, If later it proves unsatisfactory no
blame can attach to them for giving the
people an opportunity to give it fair
trial, while it will rebound to the credit
Of the party that it did not fasten it on
the entire state without first trying it.
!. Hit proves as satisfactory as its most
enthusiastic advocates predict there
will then be time enough to extend the
41 +l,a ,,o,,,;,o+;o,, 20 +Io otoIo
officers and to make it obligatory on all
the counties and still it will rebound to
the credit of the republican party that
it made sure of the working success of
the new plan before it placed the entire
state under the provisions of the new
plan.
We all want the best there is for
Michigan, but the state will have its
existence for many years after we have
left it to our descendants and there is
plenty of time in which to make such
radical changes. A hundred years from
now, while few people then in Michigan
may care how long it took to make the
change it will be more of credit to
the party. which went slowly in the
matter and worked out the system as it
went than it would be to any party |
which stupidity Numbered into an I'M
tried plan and make fizzle of it. But
two, four, six years in working out a
good plan will not seem to have been
much time when a hundred years have
passed away.