The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-09-13

influence under the old caucus system
In nominating officials AZ they do now
For 1t was always possible for every
voter to attend the caucus and there
to cast his vote and help frame the
ticket
More than that, the public at large
has always exercised powerfully di-
rect influence upon caucus nomina'
lions, even when those caucuscs were
attended by no more interest than
was displayed in last weeks primary
election. For political parties seek to
win. In putting up candidate, every
political party has desire to carry
the election. Every political party,
therefore, sensitive as barometer to
the pressure of public sentiment, seeks
out such men as candidates who Will
run well" at the ballot box. What
moro does the primary do? And the
party which selects men who do not
enjoy the confidence Of the voters at
large, loses I'm the election. Fear lest
the wrong man be beaten, and knowl-
edge that to win candidate must be
qualified by traits that will appeal to
the public, dictates to all parties, there
| fore, the men who shall appear on the
tickets and thus It will be difficult for
an expensive primary system to bring
the choice any closer to the people at
large than 1t has always been.
one OF the virtues Of the old caucus
system over this new luxury, too, lay
in the party spirit which was engen-
dered by the public meetings and
which has been destroyed by the prl-
mary. This country has always be-
| leved that rival political parties, one
to keep its watchful eye on the other,
was essential to public protection.
Any system. therefore, which tends to
destroy party lines is detriment and
an actual injury to society. Under the
old caucus system gaps in the tickets
used to be filled up from top to bottom
and each campaign saw complete
army of candidates, all working alike
for party success, in the field. Under
the primary only candidates who take
the initiative, are put on the tickets
and the result is that many over-mod-
est men, who would accept nomina-
ton on their own accord, fail to be
drawn into the public service and fail
to help complete the party ticket. In
many counties this year the repub-
leans will have only two or three can
didates. In other counties the same
is true of democrats. AS result,
there will be party indifference and
that Indifference will increase, to the
injury of both parties.
Again. factional bitterness In both
parties is made an undesirable feature
under the primary. Before the pri-
mary election, factions are formed to
support this man or that for nomina-
ton. In the heat of the campaign
lulISo are Sulu WlllSh IClluci IL III
possible for some members of the los
ing faction to consistently support the
successful nominees, against whom
bitter attacks have been made.
But even more dangerous is the per
ii of factionalism after the nomina
tons. A nomination goes not to the
liking of one element in the party, and
boiling becomes easy. Under the ole
caucus system, where men got togeth
er and talked things over, there wa:
more patriotism aroused and more 10y
atty to the party as a whole. Part!
organizations, it would appear, can bu
suffer under this new system.
No state yet has successfully solved
the primary election problem. Man!
of its ideals are theoretically well ant
good If they could work out practical
ly. But the system that Nebraska 4
experimenting with has not solved thu
problem and there is a growing sent
I ment that the state ought to save tina
: 100000 year until the plan cease
to become an experiment.