The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-03

Special to The Journal. ~ - - . =. .,,... ,-
: Huron, s. D., Jan. t3.-Petitions for the enact
pouring In upon the headquarters Of the execu-
tive committee of the State Primary league in |
this city from voters. thruout the state, until
many more signatures than the number required |
by the constitution and the statute have been OBJ
tanned to a demand upon the legislature that |
such law be submitted to vote of the people. |
vision known as the initiative and referendum,
which makes it obligatory upon the Legislature
to submit any measure, when petitioned for by
per cent of thu" electors Of the state, to a
vote Of the people at the next general election.
The proposed state primary law is thoro and
complete. and contains every essential detail for
the conduct Of primaries, having passed. thru
the hands Of severalsof the ablest legal counsel
in the state. It is carefully drafted and en-
Bodies all of the provisions Of the Wisconsin
law, as we'll as the best features of the laws
enacted in Oregon and Minnesota. AS in the wis
consin law, this measure provides for the
nomination of candidates for the office Of United
naries also all nominations from that high Office
down. with a local option clause as to county and
city officers u .'..,
The demand for such a law was greatly
| strengthened by the preconvention canvass Of
Coe I. Crawford for nomination for governor
last spring and the methods resorted to by state
leaders and the railway lobby In order to defeat
him. His defeat can be attributed entirely
to unscrupulous methods used in precinct eau
cuses. 49,. . :sr ::
|
government of the state convention, under which
no resolution, not even one for equal taxation
Of railroad property as compared with the prop
erty of individuals, could be offered and dis
Argument for the Primary.
The argument advanced in favor Of the pri-
mary law is that the average man is not q poll
tician and parliamentarian, and is unable to cope
with the experienced, manipulation In organizing
q caucus or convention; that delegates frequently
succeed in being, chosen who will set aside the
wish Of their constituents after coming under
the sway of tie corrfpt infuencerlof the boss
and lobby and the railway pass when they arrive
at the convention. =" S21has.,! . ~. ~. =
4 1t Is charged that the great fault in the
the fact that no individual is strong enough
under that system to cope permanently 3Iwith an
organized spoils system, or to protect the public
interest when the party organization IN power
falls into the hands Of combination OF Office
holders. .:
It is asserted by men who are in position to
know, that the ''maaehne" in control OF the nj,
ordinary assessments upon oil the office holders
in this state, under the plan adopted OF requir-
ing contribution OF nS o. h bee
,, called upon to contribute, as much more can
easily be collected from the public service corpo-
rations. A single candidate making fight for
clean politics and contending for the right of the
individual as against a machine has little hope
to win under the convention and caucus system
, in contest against such odds. He must not
,
an open fight, but he must have funds for
legitimate expense incurred in perfecting an Or
ganization in each precinct in fifty counties.
This is the price to be paid by the independent
voter who wishes to 60 into an important state
office entirely free from obligation, and the inhu-
: ences above outlined. j.. '-.
The other alternative is to- hand himself over
to the railroad lobby and machine politician. and
stultify himself by placing himself in their
hands as a plant tool; If not directly, then In
directly, because no man serve two masters
LOT Tho 1nnn SpH masters
| the public and the other the corporation. These
are the arguments urged against the old system
, Of making party nominations. 1.'
T. On the other hand, the friends Of the primary
' system contend that the advantage of the latter
is In the fact that 1t reserves to the Individual
voter his choice of nominees, which he can ex-
press directly in his own precinct thru the Aus.
traian ballot without disclosing his choice to the
? public, and without delegating that choice ia
, another who can at once act beyond his control
- That he can vote at one time for all nom1na.
itions and vote directly and near his own home
l instead Of three times at precinct caucuses,
county and state conventions, and being jock
eyed and buncoed ut each, as Is the case under
the present system before the choice Of a state
| nominee is finally made
! Under the primary law the individual candi
date is free to appeal directly to the individual
voter instead Of appealing to the professional
politician and can make such appeal largely thru
l the mails in an inexpensive way instead of being
= compelled to secure local representatives to or
ganize 1900 precinct caucuses, ffty-three county
conventions and one state convention to secure
= q nomination to state effce--a financial burden
: no average person Is able to incur In order tc
!. pendent Of machine. and railway Influences
49, b