Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-02-08

two more cr Slese clearly DENIED
factions. me one FACTION may best
somewhat radical ana represent or
claim to represent the people. The
/ other faction will be rather more con-
|ssNervatiye, and will claim to be more
REPRE- entative of the business inter-
ests. It may be open to the charge OF
unduly fayoring the railroads and
other great corporate interests. These
two factions win meet in a conyen-s
/ ton, in the lime light Of publicity. and
! there flight 1t out. The stronger
i faction viii make the regular nomina-s
4 tons as majority candidates, but the
other faction win be entitled to the
i second place on the primary ballot.
4 The issue between the factions what
ever the issues may be, whether rail-
way EQUATION, government owner
ship, prohibition, resubmission or.
whatever it may be win be well IN
1 derstood by the people, and the sup
/ port that each candidate receives in
the convention will prove conclusiveIy
4 to which camp he belongs. The peo-
pie can then vote intelligently and
have their vote 50 concentrated that
Ithey win count II 81
The power of money, the local
4 politician. the subsidized press, free
transp ortation n and booze will still
have great influence; but their in
fiuence win be; reduced to the mini
mum. and each candidate will not be
Il obliged to meet and combat 1t alone.
His name on ticket will be some
i thing more than mere name; it will
A stand for something definite In the
4 minds of the people in an issue that
has been clearly joined in the con-
Il vention. Had this plan been in use
Il for the last ten or twelve years the
j results would have been very differ
j ent. It puts a premium on honesty
4 and fair dealings all through, because
4 every man to succeed must have a
4 majority of the plain, every day peo-
j pie with him, and that is very hard to
| get by either trickery or money when
a the fight must, me made in the open
q as would have it done.
I am told that the gentleman now in
n charge of The Herald does not believe
i in political parties at all. do not
pretend to know that this Is true; but
from some things that have appeared
in the paper one is led to believe that
it is true. For instance, he has adj
vocated that all nominees for Offices
! be placed on the general election bal
lot in a single column, and that with.
1 out party designation. This plan
would soon obliterate all party lines
/ and is In keeping with the statement
quoted above. 33$
4 Now. ! submit that any man who en-.
q tertains such ideas as that is not the
!: person to give advice on question of
I primary election, which is purely
! a party matter. The man who would
Z destroy all political parties is not q
proper mentor for republicans who
} seek to preserve their party. How
!. ever it might be expected that such q
man would discuss primary without
& any regard to its effect upon party
rganization.
Under the direct system, lot OF
s. candidates nominated by pluralities
n which in effect means minorities, got
together after they are nominated
and proceed to tell the party what it
believes and wants, and if the party
don't believe ard want these things
which its candidates say it believes
and wants, it Is. so much the worse
for the party. All it can do is to vote
against it's own candidates, which it
4 will do.
4 Then again under the direct system
a candidate may be nominated say by
i 80 per cent of his party vote, the 70
/ per cent having been scattered on
several candidates, but this man who
A gets the nomination may be and gen.
orally will be the very man that the
4 20 per cent don't want. Will the 20
per cent go to the polls and vote for
their party candidate? If they do
will they be satisfied with the resulte
And, will this 70 per cent vote for
i the candidates Of the other party? and
I If they do that, will they be satisfied
with the result? Why not go about
this election business in a rational
manner. First, let a convention OF
delegates, fresh from the people.
elected for that purpose. meet as a
deliberative body, and declare the
iparty platform and principles. Then.
let candidates who can accept that
platform be placed on it by majority
/ vote Of that party. Then the defeated
Econdidates will be more inclined to
ancanf fho;,. Il ofo ey,.., ~ f,,lIx, :, :, n