Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1907-01-03


on interview in which he vigor-
ously assails the movement for a
direct pi imary. He favors primary
election, but makes a distinction
bet ween a primary election and the
proposed "direct primary" He
declares that the proposed ''direct
primary law is menace to a gov
eminent based upon political prin-
.ciples represented by the republican
party. The senator's reasons for
his decided stard on this important
question are given as follows:
THE proposal to establish the
direct primary at the coming ses-
sion of the legislature of Idaho is a
menace to the republican party and
its organization and should be de-
feated. 1t originated in mongrei
politics united to oppose and defeat
the republican party at any cost or
sacrifice of political principles, and
is an attempt to substitute individ-
uaf ambition and enjoyment of Of
flee for principles of government.
The democratic platform declares
for il. The candidates under the
direct primary system are bound
by no party, and no party stands
sponsor for them. In the absence
OF the convention or the coming to-
gethcr of the people of one political
faith, there is no opportunity to ex-
press the principles by which
the candidates are to be governed,
and the candidate who, after the
election, adopts methods or princi-
pies utterly inconsistent with the
party he is presumed to represent,
cannot be called TO account on the
ground that he has violated the
faith of the people or the princi-
pies of the party.
81 have been surprised to find
good republicans advocating the
principles of a direct primary on
the specious grounds that it was
getting nearer to the people. This
is the sophistry with which the re-
publican party should before this
have grown familiar as the means
by which it's enemies have sought
TO fool the people for a long time.
The republican party stands for
we'll defined principles of govern
ment that have been proved success
full and have secured happiness and
prosperity to the people. Its op.
ponents represent greed for office
wherein the office and the indi-
vidual are one and the same thing,
purely selfish in aim. We do not
want democrats, populists, social.
lists and the various political organ.
izations of expediency to assist il
the selection of those who are tc
represent the principles of the re-
publican party. Under the 'direc
primary system it would be en-.
tirely possible and highly probable
that the opposition to the republican
party would unite with small
majority of that party for the pur
pose of defeating the will of thu
majoiity of the party, and thereb.
nomioate al the primaries men wh'
would in no manner represent thu
principles of the republican party
Aud furthermore, as has been done
in more than one instance wher'
the direct primary is in vogue
a candidate knowing that he coul'
not receive majority of the vote
of his party at the direct primary,
through his friends, secured di
vision of the opposition to himsel
SO that by placing a number o
candidates in the field agains
himself and dividing the opposi
ton has been elected at a 'direc
primary, although receiving les
than 25 per cent OF the votes. Tn
direct primary system is enticin
on it's face; it sounds well as a
abstract proposition, but upon an
alysis il is readily stripped of it
seeming fairness and alleged patri
otism, and stands forth as tn
framework upon which to con
struct an infinite variety of cor
rupt practices to defeat the will c
the people and substitute individus
office craft for sound principles {
government.
''The arguments of those who ar
advocating it are based upon mis-
conception both as 10 existing condi
tions and as to conditions the
would exist upon its adoption
Many excellent people are misle
into supporting the direct primar
law under the impression that
is merely to purify political condi
tions in primary elections, whe
as matter of fact it would be
complete substitution of an electio
at the primaries which are IRE