Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-07-16

the QOOT IldL Ill ultlI PCOpAC nA6Ah Ao1A
in and have an equal voice in choosing
their standard-bearers but / submit tnat
never in our history have we had such a
gross exhibition OF bossism machine
rule as the Republicans of this State nave
furnished us in this halcyon year OF the
primary. Their first step wal 10 nave
the Supreme Court declare the law I'M
constitutional. That was the first move
they made on the primary chess-board.
Failing in that, the Statehouse crowd
and a few outlying lords assembled In
caucus. agreed upon a ticket. and handed
il out to a subservient following with
orders to take the dose without a grimace.
In consequence, for all the important
offices there is only one Republican can
didate for each. 1t is absolutely a boss
made ticket, covered with machine labels
from head to foot. This is worse than
1t was ever possible for the old conven-
ton plan to have been, for by that plan
there were at least numerous delegates
assembled from every county to express
the choice of their constituencies. But
here under the primary system, which
was established to give every man an
choice, a dozen Republican bosses plotted
together and arranged the party program.
The people were not even permitted to
sit in the gallery as spectators, much
less to a a voice in the proceedings.
Their part was simply to gulp down what
was handed them. So arrogant and ON
nipotent were these bosses that any man
daring to cross their path took his po-
litical, and sometimes his official. life
In his hand, as poor Gentry can testify.
With Democrats it has been different.
They made the law and are observing it,
in spirit as well as letter. The field was
left open, and every man desiring to run
has had al equal chance to enter. l do not
know who will be nominated on the Demo-
cratic ticket, but from among the array Of
excellent names before the people a ticket
is certain to be selected which will COM
mand the public confidence. With all the
candidates for Governor my relations are
| nIQ9G1nts in6aa6 I NAV q fhof rxyikh
them l have long sustained relations Of
personal friendship. Some over-busy mis-
chief-makers here and there have endeav-
with the candidacy of Mr.. Cowherd. 1
have a very high regard for Mr.. Cow
herds integrity, ability and force Of
character, but so have I also for the
other candidates. I wish to say now,
once for all, that I have not at any time
sought to promote or to retard the IAN
dldacy OF any man for the Governorship.
nave nad no candidate for Governor;
l have not sought to get any man into
the race or out of it; / have not at
tempted to interfere for or against any
candidate. Whether others have done SO
1t Is not my province to say, but tina I
have studiously kept aloof from these pri-
mary contests I assert with the greatest
confidence, and challenge any man to
point to a single concrete fact to the
contrary. l have many warm, personal
friends supporting each of these candi-
dates for Governor, and for that reason,
as well as because of my citation to the
men themselves, / have kept my hands
out of the contest. All / wish is that
every voter would weigh the merits of
every candidate for every office, and In
the exercise of his own good Judgment
vote for the nomination of the man he
believes will discharge the duties of the
office with the greatest dignity, ability
and efficiency. When the ticket is nomi-
mated l need not say that I will do my
utmost to aid in carrying the party flag
to victory.
A word now as to the senatorial pri-
mary and | am done. Judging by Gov
ernor Folks public utterances, he and
l are agreed upon certain things relat-
ing to that primary. First, we are
agreed that the candidate receiving the
larger number of Democratic v~otes-that
is, votes. polled on the Democratic ticket
in the whole State at the november cleo
secondly, we are agreed that if any
votes are cast on Republican tickets for
a Democratic candidate, whose name is
printed. on the Democratic ticket, those
~Repupllcan votes must be separately re-
turned by the election officers, and can
not be carried over and added to the
votes received by the candidate on the
democratic ticket, for that would be to
mining the Issue between Democratic
candidates; thirdly, we are agreed that
every Democratic member of the Cen
eral Assembly will be morally bound to
; use all honorable means to secure the
, election of the nominee; and, fourthly,
we are agreed that every Democratic
i either house Of the legislature should
: be required before the day of the pri-
! mary to publicly and unequivocally
pledge himself to support the nominee.
: 1t is to be hoped that the Kentucky
! iasco will not be repeated in Missouri.
The Republican organization of the
State has apparently determined to con-
: test the validity of this senatorial pri-
M vT 1ouy I ehora thof f1so 10 ~ VIII,
r do they wish to contest it? What harm
can the law do, since it only gives the
electors of each party an opportunity to
express individual preferences for Sem
z ator? 1t cannot very greatly concern the
Republican party in any event, for l pre-
sumo the machine will select its candi-
r date for Senator, as it has for Governor
e ever selected, there is fortunately no
:, danger of a Republican Senator this
year. 1t may be that the law was not
formulated with the precision and care
it ought to have been, but if the Of
r ficers of election n all candidates shall
seek in good faith to enforce its pro-
n visions, it is ample to serve the purposes
e intended. At most, the objections to II
are technical. l believe the law to be
e constitutional, and in that opinion | have
d been confirmed by the judgment of law.
e yers of high repute. / expressed that
views, one published in st. Louis and ths
e other in Kansas City. declared my ad'
e herence to the law and my belief in its
d validity when the question Of its valid
,e ity was first suggested. Still, strange
If ly, at a later period, although l wa
re the first to speak on the subject, some
marplots sought to raise a doubt as Il
If my position. OF all things the peanu
70 quito, is the most contemplate. / an
10 not only for the law, but l shall certain
ly do all in my power to uphold it, L
Republicans persist in an effort to Sc
,c | II aCidn on n tonhntoo1 ,rrntYn1O
ID they must take the consequences befor,
le the people for that unworthy act. Fo
s. myself, am more than willing to hay
Or polls whether they desire to continue m
r. in the public service.
20 In this connection let me add. that
iy hope this campaign for nominations viii
be conducted by all candidates wit
courtesy. So far, fortunately, but littl
acrimony has been injected into the cam
ye paign. Republicans, of course, would b
ID delighted to see a bitter, di%sorganizin
I'd personal strife between rival Democrat
candidates, such as was carried on !
:. Kentucky and more recently in Tennes
~ see, and l regret to see that some In
to discreet Democrats here and there ar
re apparently disposed to do and to advis
nj things calculated to bring about a repe
b. tition of the Kentucky and Tennessee
experience in Missouri. For myself,
al shall avoid as far as possible becomin
Ir- a party to a strife of that kind, and
us now again urge, Wudt L nave uTBeu Ds
fore, that my friends will follow m
III example and speak, as far as possible
cd without offense to other candidates {
ia their friends. 1t is all right to suppol
10 ones own friend with vigor, but there
a. little need Of saying exasperating thing
of other Democrats. We must not onl
hi. nominate but elect our candidates. Ia
D. us fight Republicans, not each other.
ift A word more and I am done. 1t do,
Id. lie office T have sought ia do nv d1i
NJ to my State Inc country, but whatev'
the measure of my success, II. gives n