Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-26
presidents were In fact chosen by the
members Of congress.

mempers ol CONGRESS-.
If that method of selecting PARTY ram
didates for president had prevailed. 1t
Is safe bet that the list of presidents
from 4donroes time until now would
not contain single name which 1t now
bears. Congress has always looked at
things from a point OF view quite diff
ferent from that of the voter. 1t does
not require great mental agility to
imagine that the present Republican
members of congress would not choose
Mr.. Taft, or that the Democrats in con-
gress might prefer another than Mr..
Bryan. Certain it is that no congress
sional caucus would have nominated
Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln
or Andrew Jackson.
1t was the certainty that a caucus
would not nominate jackson that led
to the establishment of the convention
system by the overthrow of king Cau-
Gus" In 1922 the Tennessee legislature
by an Informal vote placed the name of
Andrew Jackson in nomination for
president. This established a prece-
dent, and two years later the legis-
latures of various by solemn and for
NAL legislative enactment placed the
names Of their favorites in nomination
for the chief magistracy.
When Jackson did become president
he recognized the power of the political
use Of the patronage OF the office. He
used this power to build up a machine,
to establish the convention system and
to tnaugurate present day political par
ty methods. Exery president since his
day has used the power of patronage
for political purposes. to an extent vary
ing with the personal character of the
man in office and the necessities of the
occasion.
Jackson forced the nomination of his
cabinet minister, Martin Van Buren,. as
his successor. He used the federal
office holders to get the nomination for
Van Buren,. Mr.. Roosevelt may have
used the office holders for like pur-
pose, and the "allies" may have cursed
bitterly, but they said the same things
and breathed the same curses which
were heard when jackson was in the
White House.
The difference nowadays is the in
,creasing Importance of the primary. A
direct primary for presidential nomina-
tions has not been suggested seriously
as yet. But many states are alraedy
deciding the question of instruction to
delegates by a primary. Mr.. Taft de-
feated Mr.. Roosevelt in the California
Republican plebiscite this spring. Mr..
Bryan was given instructions by Wis
consin and Alabama by a popular party
vote.
Complaints that delegates to conven-
tions are not left to do their will and to
follow their judgment, but are driven
under the whip by control of the party
leaders, are often heard. Just at this
time Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Bryan are
called the bosses of the two great
parties. Yet a glance at the past will
show that no party leader can control
delegates at national convention to go
ae ainst the will of the masses of the
pavty. A leader often can compel the
delegates to go against their own will IL
he haS the masses on his side.
What did the power of the admins
tration amount to in the convention to
nominate a candidate to succeed Ar
thur? 1t was used, but all in vain. Mr..
Cleveland. like Mr.. Roosevelt. had very
pronounced ideas about the civil service
and ''pernicious activity in politics:
but they did not prevent the power of
the Cleveland office holders from being
used in convention. What did 1t amount
to in Chicago in 1896 after. Mr.. Bryan
crown Of thorns?
There was time when the national
conventions met without anyone being
able to forecast the outcome. There
would be dozen candidates to start
with, and frequently dark horse
would win. 1t was exciting. 1t was in
teresting, but 1t was not always for
the best. The delegates had much
more freedom than they have in these
latter days, 1t is true, but the very ma
ture of convention prevents true de-
liberation. Delegates left unhampered
by instructions are apt to be swayed
- All 4I.rx !,
very unlikely to consider the genuine
needs of the party and country.
After while the people began to
object to the introduction of so many
dark horses. Instructions to delega-
tions became more frequently the ex-
preston of the opinion of the party in
a state as to the relative merits of
the leading aspirants; less frequently
a compliment. for a favorite son and q
basis for trading and dark horsing."
The primary election has given the
voters control of the nominations for
smaller Offices and they are reaching
out to control the greatest of them all.
tions have become but ratification
meetings which formally register the
will of the party.
The tendency toward vesting more
power in the primary means a great
cnange IN american pOiltlcS. Onlli LnlS
time the greatest interest has been in
taking sides with some aspirant and
aiding him to work the machinery in
the direction of getting the nomina-
ton" If the present tendencies are
carried out the interest in the future
will be changed to the business of
taking sides with some idea and aid
ing in the work of making the nonni-
nation"
Copyright. 1908, by Frederic J. Haskin).
Tonorrow-MaIxing the Nomination.