The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-04-19

Senator Allen claims that the CHIEF
violation OF the constitution is found
In that section Of the law which re
qulres voter to disclose his party
identity. He declares that this In
fringes upon the Australian ballot prin
ciple OF secrecy and Is to that extent
restriction of suffrage, which, h,
says, the constitution forbids. He fur
Their declares that the expense OF hold
ing two elections a year is burden
some to the taxpayers, who complain
even on one. And he further attacks
the pet of many a performer" by de
claring that there is as much posi-
bility of corruption under the primary
system as where nominations are made
In convention, II not more. He says
that there is nothing to prevent candi
dates with money from going out ant
paying henchmen to see that their sup
porters are flooded into the polls
The announcement of Senator AL
lens intention to test the primary Law
Will unquestionably create more OF
less CONSERVATION among some of the
members of populist, democratic and
republican parties alike. The surprise
will know no party lines. 1t will have
wide open sway. But the sincerity OF
Senator Aliens attack, the sincerity
of his belief In the unconstitutionality
of the primary law and the sincerity
OF his opinion that corruption will be
more possible under the primary law
than under the old convention system
can not for a moment be questioned by
the most ardent supporters of the new
reform"
The public at large must agree with
Senator Allen that the primary law is
not without it's faults Senator Allen
agrees with the public at large, or that
portion of it which pledged every pc.
litical party in the state to the enact
ment of the primary law, that there
are flaws in the present convention
system. But he contends, and not
without pointing out concrete reasons
that the primary system offers more
opportunity for corruption than is pos.
sible today in open convention.
The chief objection which the sen.
ator finds in the primary law lies in
the requirement that voters declare
their party affiliation, thus destroying
secrecy of ballot and restricting suf
frage. Under the convention system
those taking part in the caucuses tao
lilly declare their party Affiliations
though it is true that those who take
no active part in nominating candi
dates, and who merely vote, are al
lowed secrecy in their ballots. That
to a not inconsiderable element OF
voters is shown by the fact that there
are in every community business mer
and citizens whose politics are not
known, men who may have good rea
sons for not publicly announcing theil
party Affiliations and who may vote
conscientiously, for all that, at the
polls.
Nor can it be denied by Directors
to this plan of requiring men to state
their party sympathies, that the wide
open plan, allowing voters to take part
in nominating candidates of any par
ties which notion or conspiracy might
determine, Unfortunately, would re
suit in even worse plight than the
present provision.
The Nebraska primary was copied
after primaries in states which have
not yet satisfactorily worked out their
own systems. 1t is not strange, there
fore, that the Nebraska law should
lack perfection.
In support of Senator Aliens state
ment that worse corruption is possible
under the primary than in convention
may be cited primary in Lincoln re
Gently for a city ticket in which, after
1t was over, great numbers of fraud
ulent votes are alleged to have been
cast. The county attorney was asked
and consented to request grand jury
to investigate the corruption.
1t has been claimed by many that
the primary would tend to wipe out
party lines. Nebraska is not ready
for the destruction of parties on such
! short notice. In all of the history OF
this republic no means of converting
good principles into laws has ever
been found equal to the political party
There always have and always will be
divisions of opinion on public ques
tons. Political parties began witt
human nature and they have accom-
plished results in instilling progress
sive ideas into laws which never could