The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1906-12-21
OPPOSES DIRECT PRIMARY
Senator Hepburn Sounds a
Strong Warning
POINTS OUT MANY FAULTS
Believes it Would be Subversive of
Republican Principles.

WASHINGTON, d. C.-Senator Hey.
ourn has come out in an interview In
which he vigorously assalls the move.
ment for direct primary. He favor.
primary election, but makes a dis.
JUNCTION between a primary election
and the proposed "direct primary".
lie declares that the proposed "direct
primary" law is menace to govern.
ment based upon political principle.
represented by the republican party.
The Senator's reasons for his decided
stand on this important question are
given as follows:
"The proposal to establish the
"direct primary" ut the coming
session of the legislature OF Idaho is
a menace to the republican party and
its organization and should be defeat.
ell. 1t originated in mongre politics
united to oppose and defeat the
republican party at any cost or sacri-
flee OF political principles, and it is
an attempt to substitute individual
ambition and enjoyment of office foi
principles of government. The dem.
ocratic platform declares for it. The
candidates under the "direct primary
system are bound by 20 party, and no
party stands sponsor for them. In
the absence Of the convention or the
coming together OF the people of one
poicical faith, there is no opportuni.
ty TO express the principles by which
the candidates are to be governed,
and the candidate who, after the
election, adopts methods or principles
utterly inconsistant with the party
he is presumed to represent, cannot
be called to account on the ground
| that be has violated The faith of The
people or the principles of the party
Il have been surprised to find
good republicans advocating the
principles of a direct primary 90 the
specous grounds that it was getting
nearer TO the people This is the
sophistry with which the republican
party should before this have grown
familiar, as the means by which iJs
enemies have sought to fool the peo-
pie for long tlne".
"The republican party stands for
we'll defined principles OF government
that have been proved successful and
have secured happiness aud prosperity
10 the people. It's opponents repre-.
sent greed for office wherein the office
and the individual are one and the
same thing, purely selfish in ann.
We do not want democrats, populisLs,
socialists and the various political
organizations Of expediency to assist
ia the selection of those who are to
represent the principles of the re-
publican party Under the direct
primary system IT would be entirely
possible and highly probable that the
opposition to the republican party |
would unite with small minority OF
that party for the purpose Of defeat.
ing the will OF the majority OF the |
party, and thereby nominate at the |
primaries men who would in no man.
ner represent the principles OF the
republican party And furthermore,
as has been done 10 more than one
Instance where the direct primary is
ia vogue, a candidate knowing that
he could not receive a majority OF
the votes of his party at the direct
primary, through his friends, secured
division of the opposition to him.
self so that by placing a number OF
candidates 10 the field against him
self and dividing the opposition has
been elected at a direct primary al
though receiving less than 20 percent
of the votes. The direct primary
system IS enticing on its face; it
sounds well as an abstract proposition
but upon analysis il is readily stripped
of its seeming fairness and alleged
patriotism, and stands forth as the
framework upon which to construct
an infinite variety of corrupt pract-
ices to defeat the will of the people
and substitute individual office craft
for sound principles of government.
"The arguments of those who are
advocating it are based upon miscon'