The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-09-29
Improving
the Primary Law.

We are publishing today very IL
teresting contribution from John t. G.
Crawford upon the subject Of improv-
ing the state primary election law
which is worthy of careful perusal.
Mr.. Crawford was manager for Cover
nor Broward in the latter's recent cam
paign for the senate and he was nim-
self elected a delegate to the national
convention. He is therefore in posi-
ton to discuss the primary law from
the standpoint of actual experience.
The Journal is inclined to agree
with Mr.. Crawford that the law needs
changing in some respects, but it hard
~ endorses all of the changes which
he suggests We are not in favor of
eliminating any Office, either state or
party, from the direct control of the
primary. Any cnange in the primary
law should be with the object of sim
plifying the process of nomination
rather than of eliminating the nomi-
nation itself from the purview of the
primary.
The length of the ballot, which Mr..
Crawford discusses, is not an import
ant matter. No intelligent man has
any difficulty in voting our present bal
lot. In fact, the results under the
primary system as praeticedl ,,ji na 4 9 81.
age voter marks his ballot with a r..re
degree of intelligence
Regarding the selection OF the
Judges of our courts. there is of
course a wide divergence of opinion.
But IL these judges are not to be
chosen by the people direct. We see
no reason why their selection should
he turned over to the lawyers who
represent no public interest Cany more
&hsn any other citizen) and whose in
terest in matters of litigation before
the courts goes no further than to
render service for the fees their
clients pay them for that service.
Nor can we agree with Mr. Crawford
2hat people do not take enough inter
est in their party servants-such as
national convention delegates and ma
tfonal committeemen-to warrant us
in eliminating those candidates from
the action of the primary. The results
show just the contrary The people
do take a great interest in these
things. For example. take Mr.. Craw-
ford's own case. He was elected
delegate from the third congressional
district to the national convention.
The returns show that for the position
OF delegate approximately 30 per cent
of the voters who voted for congress
man Also voted on the question of
delegates. The same is true of the
vote on national committeeman. Sure
y when so large a percentage of the
people vote on these questions. a lack
Of interest" cannot be argued as a
reason for taking them out of the pri-
mary.
In the matter of campaign expendi-
lures, We quite agree that they should
be restricted, but the most practicable
way of doing this is through strin-
gent publicity law. BY requiring all
campaign receipts and expenditures to
be made public at stated intervals be-
fore as we'll as after the primary the
Improper use of money can be reduced
10 minimum. An effective publicity
law viii do more to accomplish this
sAan any other form of regulation that
has been devised.
The journal hopes that MIR. Cra.w- |
ford's article viii be generally read
and particularly by the state press.
II discusses a subject that ought TO I
be discussed and. while We cannot |
agree with all of the conclusions con
tanned therein, we are glad to see the
matter thus urged upon public atten- /
ton. Let it be discussed now until !
something tangible results therefrom. |