The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-01-09

ing party nominations has gainri a
foothold in number of Northern
states and the sentiment in its favor
is rapidly spreading over the entire
country. New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Michigan. Illinois, Wisconsin, North
Dakota, Oregon and Minnesota have
enacted laws applying the direct vote
in one form or another III the making
of nominations.
In Iowa, Nebraska and South DakO-
ia, in their party conventions held in
1906, both the Republican and Demo
cratic parties declared In favor of
nominations by state wide primaries.
The demand for legislation Of this
character arises from the
which have become intolerable
the old caucus and convention 81 j.
The aim OF this legislation is to over
throw the party boss and dictator and
to shake off the hold of the corporation
upon the great political organizations
of the state The great enterprises
of today are carried on by artificial
creations of law known as corpora
tions, and combinations of corpora
tions. Frequently they become so
powerful that they attempt to fix and
control the prices of the necessaries
OF lie. They enter the field of poll
tics fer the purpose of controlling the
declarations of political platforms and
the selection Of candidates for public
tffiee and by many and divers ways,
dse their vast power to corrupt the
action of public officials.
The Paramount Question.
The question confronting TIE people
of the state, and indeed the people OF
I'LL the states, is whether they shall in
fact rule by selecting their adlninistra-
tive, legislative and judicial officers,
and whether such officers shall be suf-
fciently free from undue influence by
public service corporations, to enable
the state to control and regulate these
interests; or whether such officers
shall be selected by such corporations
and the state ruled by them. This is
the question. 1t is the issue before
the American people today
The political machine and the public
service corporations are in partner
ship everywhere. The purI ose of the
primary election in nominati'sy tick
ct is to get a direct expression of
choice Of candidates from the people.
Under such a law the power of di-
rectly expressing his choice remains
in the hands Of the voter. who is al
lowed to say by his ballot who should
be placed upon the ticket Of his party
as its candidate for congress, and for
state, legislative and county officers;
also who should be selected as the
candidate of his party for United
States senator.
The object is to preserve the right
of choice in its purity in the individual
voter 1t gives him a weapon of de-
fense against the encroachment of the
machine-corporation alliance.
No objection to the fundamental
principle involved in the primary will
stand for a single moment. The duty
Is upon you, gentlemen, with all the
light and assistance you can get, to
formulate and enact a practical and
comprehensive primary election law
1t should be made effective by an
emergency clause, because its enact
ment has been demanded from au-
thoTitative sources without conditions.
Contributions for Political Purposes.
AS a fitting sequel to the political
upheaval In the state Of Pennsylvania,
the legislature CT that state in extra
ordinary session last year enacted a
law making it a crime for an officer,
agent or representative of q corpora
tion for profit, whether incorporated
under the laws of that state or of any
other state or Of a foreign country, to
pay, give or lend, or authorize to be
paid, given or lent, any money or
other valuable thing belonging to such
corporation. to any candidate or to
any political committee for the pay
ment Of any election expense what
ever. The law thus passed has re-
ceived the specific endorsement Of
President Roosevelt, and a similar
measure Is pending before congress at
this time. In keeping with the pledge
iiStbG All tliC ptsi Ly HiuILJ4 hl AbCh "i1iSl
| was elected, | most earnestly recon-
mend that such a law be carefully
drawn, considered and passed by this
legislative session.
Accounting for Campaign Funds.
The corrupt use of money to in
fluence voters and to carry elections
Is a danger which attacks the very
foundation of representative govern
ment. When assessments are made
and money collected for the purpose of
carrying On political campaigns, the
public welfare is involved IN its ex-
penditure.
If it is used to buy votes, make bets
upon results, pay for whiskey and
treats, and debauch the morals of men,
it sows the seeds Of a rottening cam
Ger. If no responsibility to account is
placed upon the men who receive and
disburse it, they may collect it for one
purpose and spend 1t for another; they
may embezzle 1t with impunity or use
1t against the very men who paid it.
To assert that no legal checks or re-
straints should be placed upon the
use Of money in political campaigns
and elections is to take position that
is little less than monstrous.
The legislature OF Pennsylvania at
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