The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-09-26
Dress and Comment
{ f. T
For a Direct Primary Election Law.


speaking in behalf of the reform. There is SO
strong demand for the primary system and it SO
completely occupies the thoughts and suggestions OF
the neople that the convention could not pass the
Issue bv in silence without committing itself to
the side of the opposition. 1t is the opinion OF many
Of the newspapers of Idaho that the republican con-
vention completely under control OF the various
MONOPOLY interests of the state, was the enemy OF
the direct primary The Scimtar has taken pains to
assemble some expressions from the state press on
the subject of the direct primary. They are given
below.
Coeur d'A1ene Press The attitude of Congress
man French the direct primary IS that OF large
majority of his party, and when he says that the
action of the state convention in refusing to moor
porate such plank in its platform has weakened the
ticket he is telling the truth. French takes posi-,
ton which is along the lines of modern political
sciences and one which would return to the people
the right to nominate their own candidates and
avoid the disgraceful scenes OF both the democrauc
convention at Wallace and the republican conVeh-
ton at Boise neither Of which are any credit TO the
state The people are of the same opinion as our
congressman and will follow his advice when 1t
comes to voting for candidates on direct primary
election platform. The voters are becoming 1nde-
pendent and further agree with French in his OPP
position to Senator Heyburns position that the peo-
pie have no right to instruct their representatives
in congress other public officials but can recon-
''ON'N NNONN
Post Falls Advance: The Portland Oregonan ad-
vises legislators who took the oath to abide by the
decision of the late primary election to ignore that
promise made to the people, and defeat Governor
Chamberlain for United States senator because OF
his democracy Such contemplate newspapers as
the Oregonan have brought reproach upon the repuD
can party and such crude utterances as those OF W.
r Hevb1rn before the late republican state con-
venton against the direct primary law and against
the people instructing their lords in the United
States senate elsewhere, will forever break down
the Lincoln principles of the party and oDterate
them if persisted in-which the standpat senators
propose doing That speech of Mr.. Heyburns
should have undergone a Rooseveltian censor 1t
lost him friends among the common people OF Idaho
against whom it specifically aimed 1t IN
masked the Mormon church and Mr. HeyDurns poll
teal ideal
Runert Pioneer-Record: Those delegates to the
state republican convention who voted against and
defeated direct primary plank in the platform be-
trayed the people who sent them. Many OF them
violated positive instructions as to nominations and
thereby demonstrated afresh the need OF direct
primary law. The convention gave unwlse need
to the bad advice of reactionary element OF the
party an element that has stubbornly set its face
against every proposed reform
All objections thus far interposed against the
direct primary system mere bubbles, raised by
professional politicians who are unwilling to sur-
render the power to manipulate conventions
Idaho is of the few. states that have disre-
parded the popular demand for reform in election
methods and Idaho must get in line Ninety per
cent of the people demand it.
r
Pend dOreille Review. No better indication OF
The need of primary law was needed than the break
ing of instructions by three four different coun-
ties in the republican state convention when they
voted against French. French stood mantuly tor
the direct primary, but Senator Hepburn VINO ad-
mires French saw the young defeated as one
of the effects of the senator's speech decryng the
direct primary law When the delegates went to
Boise there is no doubt but what the majority fav-
ored the direct primary and would have voted for