Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-01
AN ALLuRlNa SOUND.

me senate will probably vote on the
primary election bill today or tomor-
TOW and II 1t is passed it will go to
me mouse. According to reports from
les Molnes there Is reason to believe
lnat there will be close vote on the
Dill IN the upper body of the legisla-
lure. Each side claims victory by
small gin and the discussion of the
proposition is sure to be heated one.
II Is sincerely to be hoped that the
Dill Will fail to pass even in the SEN
ate and that this element, at least, can
pc removed from the dangers of fac
aonal war that beset the legislature.
The primary bill now before the senate
is wrong In so many ways that it is
hard to catalogue them without run
ming into an article too long to admit
OF easy reading. It would be almost
II not quite impossible to make a pri-
mary law that would be adequate and
right In every part of the state And
yet, this is what the Crossley bill pro-
poses
While there may be one or two
cities in the state where politics is so
corrupt that some remedy is needed,
those conditions do not exist all over
Iowa. There may be some counties
where the population is SO divided that
by means of the primary, the candi-
dates could be taken from town and
country in right proportion, but such
counties are few. In short, there may
be q few places in the state where the
primary would prove as satisfactory as
does the present convention plan of
nomination, but these places are so few
n O Ia oc11 ~,
to all the state, "You must nominate
by means Of the primary system"
II the primary is so just and fair and
right why do not the friends of the
movement agree to make it optional
with the counties SO that they can use
itsor not just as they see fit? Surely
there are enough honest men in each
county to see to 1t that if the primary
proves necessary 1t will be used. Surely
that Is the way to leave 1t to a major
ity vote, and the will Of the majority Of
the people should rule.
!. Right there is q point that was. over
looked, doubtless as of no Importance,
by Senator Crossley or whoever drew
the bill that bears his name. The pro-
posed measure provides that man re-
ceiving a plurality in the primary
shall be the nominee. Perhaps he will
not get more than one-f1fth or one
sixth of the total vote, but he can still
have plurality over the next highest
in race in which there are several
rivals. Thus an undesirable candi-
date can be chosen over a number Of
desirable ones and the more desirable
candidates are in the race, the better
chance Is afforded the undesirable one.
To his support he can rally the roughs
and the r,ff-raff, while the vote of the
respectable element is divided among
the desirable candidates.
The fact above cited shows one in
stance of the Crossley bills impracti-
bility. There are several others, for
the measure is as long as the moral
law itself. The plan. at first glance,
looks like good one. To the Ameri-
can people there is, and, it is to be
hoped, always will be, sweet sound
about the phrase, ''the will of the ma
jority," but there is danger that in the
case of the primary bill the lure Of the
expression may lead men away from
the real truth, which is that the major
ity is to be defeated and the minority
Is to rule If the Crossley bill becomes
law