Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-02-06
A RESUME OF THE
PRIMARY ELECTION BILL

necessary il tho best men are to be
selected for office.
The bill provides that state, congress
sional, district, judicial county and
other conventions shall be held as
usual. But what inducement will there
be for any one to seek the nomination
as delegate to convention, or to go
to a convention If nominated, when
that convention has nothing to do at all
with the selection of candidates, and
all that 1t can deal with will simply
be in respect to the declaration OF
principles of the party2 Will this not
result in the conventions being run
by a small number of men, because
there is so little inducement to the
masses to go, and thus have the party
platforms dictated by a few politicians
rather than by the real representatives
of the people as it is now done?
In quite a large number OF districts
in this state, the position OF district
Judges has been made non-partisan, or
where that is not true the nomination
for Judges is determined by the bar.
Is not this a wise method to follow
in securing judges, rather than
to leave that question to be decided BY
eaCn luulVluudl FOlCit WIZ hoSSoSoAA
ly would have limited information as
to the relative legal qualifications OF
the different candidates?
Section IL and those following, pro-
vide in very complicated and In
volved way, for the various state, dis.
trict, congressional judicial, county,
and other conventions. An attempt to
specifically state the many objections
that can be urged to these provisions.
would require pages and exhaust the
readers patience. They must be read
to be appreciated.
Is 1t not also apparent that under
such method as this bill proy1des,all
: the Offices will be likely to go to the
> larger towns or precincts? The usual
! method now pursued Is to allow the
> smaller precincts a fair proportion OF
candidates but under this bill this
!, would all be done away with. The
y country and smaller precincts could
; seldom succeed in nominating can
didate because the voters in the larg-
!, er precincts, who would largely out
u number them. would naturally vote for
y their own friends and acquaintances.
u and leave their country neighbors out
I in the cold.
y Is it not also true that the tendency
of this measure would be to place In
\ the hands of the professional polite
y ian or the corporations, should the lat
4 ter choose to exercise 1t, the power OF
y debating nominations? The corpora
h lions with their large number Of en-
9 ployes and wide influence could make
a. it easy for the men they nominated
g, to secure the necessary petitions. arg
~ " by the machinery which fnsJ
!. ~ establiskJ create bureau for getting
~ their friends on the ticket, leaving the
" poor or un-befriended candidate to
rs make his own difficult way over the
rs obstacles that this bill puts in his
ne pathway. 1t would furnish a powerful
III and easy means for fixing the absolute
We control Of nominations in the hands OF
t, t. the few.
Of During the recent discussion over
to the adoption of the constitutional
Sc amendment providing for the biennial
M elections, 1t was claimed that annual
elections should be done away with
because Of the great cost to the PEG
pie Of the state Of such frequent cleo
VI lions variously estimated at from
he 100000 upward for each election. II
es the interests of economy the biennia
lie amendment was passed. Now comes
ce this bill which by its terms provides
he for a primary election, the cost 0
,et which could not otherwise than con
It? siderably exceed the cost of the gen
We eral election. The amount OF station
ITS cry alone which this primary election
re would require is largely in excess Q
ny what would be required at genera
ex- election, and the time which woul
ne have to be expended and paid for !
ae conducting this primary electio
CT would exceed the time expended an
q. paid for in the general election. D
on w the people Of this state simply for tn
~ purpose Of making their nomination.
L ln. wish to incur this enormous additions
~ expense? What is the crying need fc
'c as all this expenditure Of time and \
~. =. Dor, and this involved and intricat
ny method of simply deciding who sha
s s.,a run for office? What evil is to be dor
,u . away with? Are the existing method
ara SO perniciuos as to cry for such h
nv, roic treatment at such heavy expens
,rs to the people Of the state? Is 1t n
hat true that Iowa Is recognized as OF
rhe of the best governed states In u
ING union, and as being especially FRI
aen from improper and impure polite
of methods Is 1t therefore necessary
,ho. wise to impose upon the voters Of Il
hill. state such unaccustomed, rigid az
div precise restrictions to the free and u
act trammeled declaration by the vote
,ple of their choice of candidates as th
,wn bill would undoubtedly impose? Is
,uld necessary or desirable to make the {
nifty tainment of even nomination SO dii
ice. cult as to necessarily discoura
liar many good and worthy men In see
ntly ing Office?