Omaha daily bee., 1907-02-05

Columbus Tribune: Right or wrong, the
republican legislature was elected on
pledge TO enact a state wide primary law
and that pledge should be redeemed.
Tekamah Herald: state wide primary
law IL demanded by the people. It was
promised In the platform. Nothing will
satisfy the people but a fair trial like has
been given In other states where II has
been adopted. The people have a right to
say who they want for their public ser
vents instead Of them being selected by
the political bosses and convention fixers.
Bloomfield Monitors The Nebraska legis-
lature should begin work on the state
wide" primary law. That is not only one
Of the things needed In Nebraska to put
the railroad politicians out of business,
but 1t is one thing promised by the republic
can state platform, and to which nearly
every republican member of the legislature
is pledged. Let's have It. We want IL
not only now, but we want It mighty bad.
Aurora Republican: Should the legisla-
ture pass a primary bill giving anything
less than a statewide primary 1t will not
have fulfilled the wishes of the people in
this important matter of legislation. The
people want to vote on nominations for
county Office well enough, but they want
also to participate in the selection OF can
didates for congress and state Offices The
call is for statewide primary.
Bradshaw Republican; A statewide pri-
mary law is not what the people are ask
ing for. A clear-cut county and precinct
primary is the thing wanted. There will
be no trouble in regard to the class of
delegates that will be chosen to state and
district conventions If the voters in each
county can have their say by direct
county primary. Our legislators should be
careful and not get sidetracked by some Of
the howl set up by the metropolitan press.
York Times How far legislature will be
driven in the direction of primary elections
remains to be seen. 1t is not very probable,
however, that the politicians will turn the
entire business of the party over to the
newspapers without a good deal Of pro-
testing. The republican platform favors
primary elections and the legislature will
be quite likely to sit up and take notice of
what the convention declared, but It is not
very likely that the members of the legis
lature will completely tie their own hands
and turn the whole business of making
officers over to the press 1t will be in
teresting to see how they will get out of it.
Sterling Sun: AS the Sun predicted. cor
pOEdIlOnS anu pOltlcidnS Interested III tne
control of state nominations are fighting
the passage of a primary election law
harder than they are any other bill before
the legislature. The passage of such a law
puts the politicians who have always con-
trolled affairs practically out of business.
1t will be a condition where one mans vote
counts just as much as another and IL he
does not choose to exercise his powers that
lis bis business. The ordinary man has
practically nothing to say on state nomi-
nations. because the nominations are al
ways practically made by the leaders Of
both parties under the convention system.
Newman Grove Reporter: The Nebraska
legislator, especially II he Is republican,
hasn't got bit of time to be arguing
whether the primary law Is advisable or
| not for two good and sufficient reasons.
One is because 1t is past the experimental
stage; 1t works, works in hale y dozen diff
ferent states, works In the two most pro-
gressive nations on earth. Then IL said
legislator had anything to say against the
primary law there was plenty of time to
| have said 1t before the election instead of
letting the party platform pledge him to
that measure with his tacit consent. In
addition to that nearly every republican
signed an explicit pledge, prepared by The
Bee, to support the law Many subscribed
to IL before they could obtain nomination.
Therefore the legislator who violates those
pledges stands before the people OF this
state branded man of Punic faith.