The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-02-16
Give the Primary Law an Honest Trial

9Ve INC PRIMARY LAW an r1onest rial.
Two years ago the platform of the re-
publican party in Michigan declared for
primary reform. The enactment of a
law along definite lines, which had
been agreed upon as being the best for
the first attempt, was pledged. 1t was
realized that the new system would be
in the nature of an experiment at best,
and therefore it was deemed wise to
make haste slowly in the matter of
overturning existing political methods
The democrats of the state, it will be
remembered, avowed that the republi-
cans had no intention of giving the
state any kind of primary reform, and
taking advantage of the strong feeling
In favor of reform of the primary
system, which pervaded the state at
that time, attempted to defeat the re-
pubhcans by the ruse of adopting q
primary reform plank little more
sweeping in its declarations, and then
In attempting to prove to the people of
the state that it alone deserved the name
of primary reform plank somuch bet
ter than the republican plank did they
declared it to be.
The demand for the reform of the pri-
mary system was strong one, especially
when famed as it was by the democrat
orators who saw in it their one hope of
success in the state election. A tidal
wave seemed to be sweeping over the
state threatening to drown the republi-.
can state ticket from governor down.
Hard work for weeks and weeks on the
part of the republican leaders then be-
gan to tell. Their assurances that their
pledges to give the experiment of pri-
mary reform an honest trial were be-
lieved Observant people failed to dis
cover anything in the democratic plat
form which promised better results
than the pledges contained in the re-
publican platform. The fact that it
was like the free silver cry in the
mouths of the democrats of few years
previous only an attempt on the part
OF the leaders to take advantage of
popular feeling to defeat the republican
party, began to be seen by many who
at first had feared that the statements
OF the democratic campaign orators
might be true. The republicans of the
state decided to continue their trust in
the representatives they had nominated
and sent them to the legislature to car
~ out their wishes. They elected re-
publican legislature and a republican
administration.
The party then carried out its pledge
A primary law was passed. No law
proposed met with the approval of all.
None had the united support of all the
most earnest believers in the new sys-
tenn. As in nearly every movement in
volving change in the usual order of
things the variation in opinions was
wide and the only course was COM
promise. The law appears to have
many desirable features. 1t gives every
county in the state an opportunity to
adopt the new primary system if it so
chooses, and the same is true of each
congressional district. But popular
clamor and genuine demand from the
people may not always be the same
thing. No primary reform is to be
thrust down the threats of any COM
munity which wishes to maintain the
former caucus and convention system.
1t was believed that if the people really
wished the new system; if the system
was to be o success in any way; if the
people were TO take the interest in nom
mating clean, efficient men for their
offices which it was asserted over and
over again they would take, then surely
they must be competent to say that
they desired that privilege and RESPONSE
bility and would take as much interest
in voting to put the new law in opera.
ton as they would in its operation when
adopted. This certainly seemed reason
able. If the people Of any community 1
do not have interest enough to take \
over this power to themselves they /
surely would care nothing Cor it once it |
should come into their possession.
And now the time is close at hand