Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-27
THE REASON VIII.

really what IL Is cracked up to be by
few agitators, how comes II that the people
Of Nebraska have not had II in force long
since1 From the day the first white man
settled in Nebraska there has been abso-
lutely nothing, except good judgment to
prevent every political party in every
county, town and township from carrying
on their politics under the forms of the
direct primary No action of the legisla-
ture was necessary. No resolution or ac-
ton of any state convention was neces-
sary. The members OF every political
party In every county, town and township
have had full power every day for the last
nifty years in Nebraska to put this method
in force.
why have they not done III Simply be-
cause there was not need Of 1t; simply
because they had a better, a cheaper, a
simpler, an easier and a more satisfactory
Way.-IAncoln Star.
Twenty years ago all voting at regu-
lar and primary elections was done by
paper ballots Of all dimensions printed
according to the caprice of county and
city officials and political factions. In
some instances primary election ballots
were printed on paper of variegated
shade, so as to make the man who sold
his vote stand bought, or to detect the
wage worker who dared to disobey the
mandate Of his employer. AS a counter
check pastors with the names of can
didates were plastered over the names
Of other candidates. This system, how
ever, was entirely done away with upon
the enactment of the Australian ballot
law, in spite of the fact that for thirty
years prior to that there was nothing
to prevent every political party in Ne
braska in every county, town and town
ship from carrying on their politics I'M
der the crude forms that prevailed in
territorial days.
Twenty years ago everybody who
wanted to vote at a primary was al
lowed to get in his work regardless of
his party affiliations and greenbackers,
democrats and political nondescripts
helped to carry republican primaries for
or against this or that candidate. In
those good old days it was the custom
in Omaha for shopmen, freight house
men and railroad employees generally
to march to the polls in platoons and
companies under the direct command of
their bosses or picked lieutenants and
be voted at republican primaries, re-
CARELESS of their party connections.
When the first attempt to do away with
this rank invasion of party rights by
the registration of known republicans
was made the polling places were
the corporation plug-uglies.
Since then laws have been enacted
regulating primary elections and the
line has been drawn so that only mem.
bers OF a political party can vote at a
| primary for its candidates, and the laws
Furnishing offenses at general elections
have also been made applicable to pri
mary elections. The primary election
laws have, however, not eliminated
some of the worst abuses in political
nominating machinery caused by the
manipulation of conventions, which in
stead of registering the will of the
party have for the most part registered
the will of the confederated corpora
tons.
This pernicious system is not confined
to Nebraska. 1t has permeated many
other states in which railway corpora
lions have been the dominant politica
factor. BY doing away with the bar
gain counter nominations the direct pri
mary system means to restore to the
rank and file of political parties the
power that has been wrenched from
them and used to foist into public Office
men who do not represent the party OF
vital issues.
In endorsing the direct primary
through their state convention the re
publicans OF Nebraska have simply fol
lowed in the footsteps of the republicans
Of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and
other states that have been similarly
AFFLICTED politically. They have mo-
asked for the direct primary before, no
because there was not need of II, bu
because public sentiment that favori
the demolition Of the rotten convention
system had not been fully educated t.
the demands of the hour.
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