Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-04-17
Platform Convention.

A committee of democrats, of Calu-
met county, recently adopted a resolu
ton calling for democratic state con-
vention to formulate and promulgate
platform upon which to go before the
people at the approaching campaign
instead of leaving it to the party candi-
dates. This is move that will meet
the approval of about every democrat
in Wisconsin, and the chairman of the
democratic state central committee
will make no mistake in calling such
convention.
The Milwaukee News in commenting
upon the question says
1.-The chairman of the democratic
state central committee would meet
approval should he call state conven-
ton that the party through its regularly
elected delegates may frame and prom
ulgate platform that will be binding
upon its candidates The organization
has not yet been destroyed by the
operation of the primary law. In every
county there is a party committee.
Delegates may be elected as in former
years and the party represented in
State convention. The convention like
wise may take action looking to the
perpetuation of the party organization.
has also been urged by some that
the convention should nominate candi-
dates subject to confirmation by the
voters at the primaries. Ultimately it
may result that minority parties may
find it expedient to hold conventions to
nominate candidates TO insure full rep
resentation on the official ballot To
obtain nomination under the primary
election law calls for organized effort
and the spending of considerable
money by each candidate in circulating
petitions and obtaining signatures. In
minority parties, with no assurance of
election to office, candidates may not
be likely to enter the field to contest for
nomination at a primary election,
while there is the possibility of the
nomination going by default to the UNI
worthy seeking notoriety.
The Socialists in Milwaukee found it
expedient to nominate their candidates
in advance of the primaries and to
adopt a platform, subject to the APP
proval of the voters at the primaries.
This relieved their candidates of the
expense OF circulating petitions and of
contestlng for nominations at the pri-
mary election, while protecting their
party from invasion by non-Socialist
voters at the primaries.
There is no immediate need, how
ever, for the Democratic party to
seriously consider holding conven-
ton to nominate candidates as there is
for it to hold convention to adopt a
platform and maintain the party or
ganization. On the platform feature
the primary election law is abortive in
its provisions and subversive of repre-
sentative government. There can be no
question as to the propriety of adopting
| a platform coming from the rank and
| file of the party through convention
representation, while experience has
not vet established what effect the pri-
mary law will have upon minority par
ties. The primary law should be given
| a trial and a fair one. If it shall not
work to discourage the candidates of
representatives Democrat, there will
be no occasion for holding a conven-
ton to nominate candidates in advance
of the primaries, subject to approval OF
the voters.
If, however, the law shall work to
the injury of minority parties, the in
Jury may be repaired in subsequent
elections either by amendments to the
law or by holding state conventions to
nominate candidates and adopt a plat
form as was formerly done, subject,
of course, to the approval of the rank
and file of the party at the primaries,
and giving to the party opportunity to
override the acts of the convention,
should it nominate candidates that
should not meet with the approval of
the voters entering its primaries. But
this is not to be considered until ex-
perience with the law may show it is
desira BILE for minority parties and that
it is tie only way to provide remedy.
The wisdom of holding a convention
to adopt a platform, however, admits
Of no objection. 1t has received gener-
al approval by the Democratic press
and by representative Democrats in all
sections of the state. A convention
should be called and it should be called
to meet at a reasonably early date,
that the voters may have full oppor-
tunity to understand the party's posi-
ton"