The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1907-11-07
UNPROTECTED PRIMARIES.
From a Recent Issue Of Topeka
Paper.

IslVu buSUHs kASouV ~ sVPVN
Paper.
i The following 10 the opinion Of Con
gresham Madison on the kind Of pri
maries proposed BY some for nominal
ing the next Republican state ticket. \.
II am In favor Of the making Of nomi
lions by political parties at primary cleo
tions The principle Of primary cleo
tons Is fundamentally right. 1t give
to the voter direct method to expires
bis choice for a candidate. | believe w
are fast outgrowing the convention
system. We should have and In my
opinion will soon have in Kansas, a Law
providing for the holding Of primary
elections by all parties on the same day
and under the supervision Of officers Of
the law. This election should be held al
public expense and plurality vote should
nominate. An election Of this character
will, in my judgment, be an altogether
different thing from one held BY one party
at the expense of the candidates under
the supervision Of central committees
legally responsible to no one.
"The superiority Of such an election
over the convention system ls at least
very doubtful. Such an election would
make 1t impossible for many poor men
who could pay the entrance fee to be-
come candidates. II would place the
very tax on the candidates that the
Illinois Supreme Court held could not
be placed on them under the law. II
throws open the doors for members Of
other parties to vote at the primary Of
the party holding the election. The can
wasting board that must declare the re-
suit would be constituted OF men under
no legal obligation to meet at any GER
tain time or to correctly canvass and de-
clare the result. The entire machinery
and the operation of 1t from the calling
Of the election to the declaration Of the
result would be In the hands Of the
identical class of persons who attend the
conventions and make the nominations
there. Any man who has had any ex-
perience in practical politics knows that
primary elections run by central CON-
mittees have been as Lagrantly mani
pulated as political conventions and
that a primary election without the pro-
lection of good law is an invitation to
ballot box stuffing, illegal voting and
other corrupt practices, especially is this
true In the larger cities, The primary
election law now on the statute books is
SO meager and flimsy as not to be worthy
of the name. 1t does not provide for The
nomination of candidates for State Offices
or any higher than candidates for dis
trict offices. II does not provide for
union primaries held by district and
county committees, but clearly anticipates
the holding of separate election for dis
trict and county candidates each under Its
own committee. 1t does not contain
sufficient provision to protect the
party holding the primary from members
Of other parties who may attempt to vote
In 1t. The State Central Committee
could not under 1t exercise any control
whatever over the election SO that If a
State primary is to be held 1t must be
held PRACTICALLY without any safeguards
from the statute law.
~ do not believe that the holding of
State wide primary election next year
under conditions as they exist, would be
preferable to conventions OF that 1t would
do any good to the cause Of the primary
elections and / have the satisfaction Of
knowing that some Of the genuine friends
of the law agree with me. would not,
therefore, care to engage In the advocacy
OF the kind of election suggested in your
letter. However, II the State Central
Committee, after consultation with the
people they represent, believe 1t is best
70 call primary will not be one
that will pull back In the harness and at
tempt to dis-credit 1t. Twill do all Ia
my power to make 1t success. feel
the committee should not, under any
circumstances, call primary election un-
til 1t has consulted with the different
congressional, judicial and county COM
mittees and obtained the cooperation Of
q good majority Of them. II that is done
then the expense can be so divided
among the candidates that they can carry
1t although 1t may be burdensome. In
the absence Of primary election law the
expense could beso borne by Others than
the candidates. l hope that no attempt
will be made to conduct an election with
volunteers. 1t takes no great stretch Of
the Imagination to conceive who many
Of the volunteers would be. The COM
mittee should be assured that funds will
be forthcoming to carry on the election
10 capable and business like manner.
II 1t calls 1t without that assurance 1t will
accumulate a large assortment Of trouble
for itself and the election win be any
thing but satisfactory"