The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1905-02-22

AS9 moD00V ~ ora .scet
by the Town Desn,xratic Executiv.
Committee, bOth as to tn" tickle,
required and election of all the .nic ~,
ss Tie primary is doubtless . new
departure In the history at Lafsyetss
politics.
believe thst Ne n.ain featuses al
TIE rules for the primary win rc-iv.'
the approval of most Ut our ci.ix.ns.
especially Of those w.m hnv.. nm
honest desire to d. away ". 4,
4actionslism and ring rule.
It II known Is . mate. Of ,,ui,'ic
h0t0riety that before the orga liz ni"n
Of the Democratic party in GU tow =.
the people were a!wa.s div,tI ins.
hostile political CAMPS. each sid
claiming to Ike better Democrat. tha,
the other and the followers Ut ;.at,
sides marching to the .~,ll- M .i,caion
day with equal zeal and loyal.
Since the organization os til. party
the people ins5pad uf dividing late
hostile camps as her-toiOrs have
divided into hostile factions. equal,
jealous and a l;rtI. more !iit...... This
vas natural IL expect as sire is
nothing more bitter aud uncompra-
missing than factional spirit, and
nothing SO blind. Party spirit is bad
enough, but factioaul spirit is worse.
mi
The reason Is th,s party spirit is
based on political issues and prin-
ciples, and factional spirit on personal
preferences, differences, personal
interests. political spite and hate.
The result has been that at eve.y
municipal election, each faction has
put out q separate ticket in the field,
and the followers of the respective
parties have almost invariably voted
for ono ticket or the other, regardless
Of the fitness or qualifications of the
candidate. Blinded by psrtizan
zeal they lost sight OF the men ON the
tickets, but voted for what they called
the straight ticket" according to
their factional affiliations. The worst
OF 1t Is that after the fight ut the
primary Was oyer the ~facsional spirit, /
instead u dying out Invariably took
on uew life and new vigor.
In every instance, it followed that
the ticket nominated came from one
faction OF the other, and the parties
nominated imbued themselves with
TIE spirit of factionalism, carried it
Into 0ur municipsl affairs and
n~sturslly, the nominees feis slssm-
selves IN duty bound 70 reward friends
in the way Of appointments to ~ollces
under the Town Charter. and to hook
ont for their enclAies in the way of
disapp0intqents.
BY thisu5stkodrshe successful nc
ton found its way into our city life
through their nominees, and soon
took form and permsnency In the way
Of cliques or rings, the boil weavil Of
American politics, easy OF breeding,
but hard to kill and, said by some,
II complete eradication.
Il thsre b. : way 10 destroy this
poltt3cal pest which undermines
popalsr rights, wherever seen, the
Wy y By : method Of selecting our
candidates which will have the effect
Of destroying tsctions, the ROOT Of Ill
rings.
The WY to do 80, / believe, II not
~ only one, il to provide one ticket
lor all Tie candidates., aid the
sqof ri ~ ;nn,ieipsl
- ~ btpulT wkef III l1sse
psroIedt6rv + hete9ors shirk thst the
lctiOn u. the committee vas ! step in
Ne right direction.
Under this system, IL : citizen
6ln9g ~ tsopmss csudidsss he~hns
nedoa6ef Or faceion 70 consult, and
- rsquest to .1lahs - sany one 70 be
- - ~ - ~ rival. ticks1s.
F. hNof required = attend and
Eeeelye'en1oreensnts Of his caudidacy
y pe91HNe14qh1aesp msnipulated
= .1dv2kts ~ Wire pullers and
pollklAl aopdess q % resolve the
q others ID secrst conclaves,
~ - Amss3can citizen he hes
- persly handing his
naMe - E4y selected By the
>ere the .sOmnibusr
ap1UEho 49, Re required deannit