Morris tribune., 1908-12-26
THE PRIMARY LAW ARRAIGNED.

OF and objections to the present primary law
| has been made than was contained in recent
editorial in the Pioneer Press. While there
may be plenty of difference Of opinion as to
| what should take the place of the present law,
yet all will admit the truth of the following
| raignment of the present law. The Pioneer
Press says:
The people have discovered the difference
| between the theoretical view of the direct pri-
mary, which fascinated them-as it did the
Pioneer Press-sx years ago, and it's results as
seen under the operation of the law. These re-
suits are in brief:
/. The candidates nominate themselves,
and the idea that they picked out by the
people proves to be pure delusion
2. The contest in the primaries develops
more personal animosities breaks more friend
ships, and leads to more lasting bitterness be-
tween men of the same party than ever existed
between men of opposing parties-say Republi-
cans and Democrats AS a breeder of family
quarrels the primary takes first place among
the invention of demagogy.
j. Democrats vote at Republican and Re
publicans at Democratic primaries, in order to
fost upon the party who easily be de-
feated. A remarkable illustration of this is
seen in the last primary in Oregon where it
has been proved that enough Democrats voted
for a weak Republican candidate to insure his
defeat when set up in opposition to Chamber
lain, an able Democrat, in the popular "elec-
ton for United States senator.
4. So many candidates nominate thensel-
yes for various offices that minority men, whom
large majority of the voters would repudiate,
frequently carry off the honors of the primary.
5. The primary gives the with the
longest purse an advantage over every competi-
tor 1t reduces the contest to of personal
advertising and money spending.
s. Into such a contest selfrespecting men
those possessing the best qualifications for
ofice-will not enter. This leaves the field
clear for selfseekers and incapables. 1t is in
teresting to observe how many such, whom an
intelligent nominating convention would never
dream of naming, have fosted themselves upon
the people as candidates.
Z. AS applied to the selection of judges, it
encourages every plausible attorney to look for
the honors of the bench. The "bar at large"
which before the advent of the direct primary
Justly exercised great partisan influence
in directing the choice of able scholarly jurists,
is by the primary robbed of that influence; and
judicial candidates compelled to wade in
the mire of politics" and beg for a nomination.
8. The practical impossibility that the aver
age voter should have any personal acquaint
ance with candidates for any but local Offices
robs the boosted choice by the people" at the
primary of any substantial merits.
g. The maintenance of party organizations
is necessity if the democratic idea of govern
ment by the majority is to be preserved. The
primary destroys party organizations.
Injured people to representative
government" they would after six years of
experimentation with the primary, far rather
commit to a body of selected delegates the work
of choosing fit men for most positions than at
tempt the job themselves. They do not like to
"go it blind" in the discharge of any political
duty. They want to act inte1li gently not at
all. Let the choice of delegates to nominating
conventions be hedged round with the same
barriers against fraud as are erected around the
nominating primary, and they will rejoice in a
return to principal far more in harmony with
the historical ideals of republic. The pri-
mary law will have served one good purpose
in pointing the way to such guarded plan for
electing delegates to conventions.
Intelligent Democrats have no more use for
the primary law as it now stands than have in
telligent Republicans This will probably be
revealed in the debate when the rattar COMES