Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-12-23
PRIMARY ELECTION LAW.

Henry Feig reproduces nine in
dictments against the primary elec-
ton law from the Pioneer Press,
which he declares practical and
definite" and therefore presumably
embody the objections that Mr..
Feig and the politicians he repre-
sents have against allowing the peo-
pie to vote directly for their party
candidates. The first Indictment
reads as follows:
1.-THE candidates nominate them
selves, and the idea that they are
picked out by the people proves to
be pure delusion.
Where is the delusion when the
candidate who gets the most votes
wins? Under the direct primary
anyone possessing an ambition for
an office can appeal directly to the
people instead Of to the "steering'
party politicians, and it will rest
entirely with the voters at the polls
whether he wins or not.
"2. The contest in the primary
develops more personal animosities,
breaks more friendships, and leads
to more lasting bitterness between
men of the same party than ever
existed between men Of opposing
parties say republicans and demo-
Gratis. AS a breeder Of family
quarrels the primary takes first
place among the inventions of dem
agogy.'
This is about the thinnest excuse
of an argument imaginable. Any,
one who will allow political de-
feat to sour his disposition or be
the basis for personal enmity is not
fit to be a public official in any
event. Where the decision is made
at the polls there ought to be less
cause for dissatisfaction than when
a defeat occurs in a convention
with a lot Of trading interests.
The only difference is that now the
bitterness" comes to the politi-
clans who have lost their power to
dictate instead Of to the aspirants
that were not able or willing to
join the ring, as under the old sys-
tenn. Popular nominations an in
vention of demagogy!" Why not
speak right out and say that popu-
lar elections are the inventions of
demagogy?
80. Democrats vote at repub-
lican and republicans at democratic
primaries. in order to foist upon
the party men who can be easily 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 in
sure his defeat when set up in op-
position to Chamberlain, an able
democrat, in the popular "elec-
ton" for United States senator.'
In this respect the primary is no
worse than the old caucus system.
It is possible that there may be
some abuse of the law. but that
does not prove that the law is bad
one. We do not believe that there
is so much of this as the enemies of
the law try to make out. It's a
long way to go to Oregon for an ex-
ample, for no one here knows any,
thing about it. It is comforting
to know that the ablest man will
win out even then. and if the law
contributed to that result it cannot
be so bad after all.
"a. So many candidates nomin-
ate themselves for various Offices
that minority men, whom a large
majority Of the Voters would repu-
diate, frequently carry off the
honors Of the primary"
There is where the law as it
stand now is weak. 1t should pro-
vide for majority nominations. By
PERMITTING the voter to express his
second choice for each office and
making proper returns the canvass
ing board could eliminate the can
didates having the smallest vote un-
til one of the candidates would re-
ceive the majority. This would be
the same as the convention method
but the result would have been de-
termined at the polls by the voters
instead of by the trading of dele
gates at convention. The law
could easily be amended in this re-