The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-07-08
advertiser Correspondence, Copyright
by Frederic j. Haskin.)

With the Republican convention just
behind, and the Democratic convention
just before them, the American people
are greatly exercised at this time about
the who's, why's and hows of "getting
the nomination. - So far as national
politics is concerned, one might search
| the Constitution and the laws forever
and never find one word to authorize
| a political convention s mandate. Yet
vast number of the voters of the
United States place the action of the
convention above their own convictions
and vote for the nominee regardless of
personal preferences. And the members
of the electoral college,-none has ever
disobeyed the command of his party
convention.
| Political party nominations are neces-
sary to the career of the American
statesman. No man is 50 great that
he can enter public life without the aid
| of nomination to help him TO office,
or the capacity to control nominations
to help others to office. The infrequent
successes of independent candidates for
minor Offices mark the exception which
but proves the rule. Therefore, it is
apparent that the whole fabric of our
political institutions rests upon the
political party nomination. The voters
can choose no better man for president
than is nominated by the parties. The
so-called independent voters can never
select man to serve in the White
House. That section of the public may
induce a party to take its choice by
bartering a promise of the "independ-
ento vote, but under ordinary circum-
stances it must take what the parties
give it; the greater of two goods, or
the lesser of two evils.
just at this time it is interesting to
mark the progress of the nominating
machinery of the American political
parties. In the beginning there was the
caucus, then came the delegated con-
vention, and now the direct primary
election bids fair to carry the machin-
cry to it's most democratic extremity
There is great talk of conventions that
are boss ridden, and the like. There has
been such talk before; ever since con
ventions were held in fact The great
er volume of complaint now is but the
evidence of the increasing purpose of
bn tb fol- bn nf
mating into their own hands.
Leaving aside the hosts of municipal,
county, state and congressional offices,
for which nominations are already made
by direct primaries in many states, it
is interesting to apply the theory of
the direct primary to the nomination
for the presidency, the most important
function exercised by a political party.
The trainers of the Constitution did
not believe the people possessed suf.
icient wisdom and judgment to select
the chief executive of the Federal
government. They battIed long over
the proposition of leaving that selection
to the national legislature or of entrust
ing it to the several state legislatures.
In the end, they left it to electors to be
appointed by the various states-not
by the people of the states-in such
manner as each state legislature might
direct.
The Constitution was null and void
from the very beginning, so far as
the spirit of this provision was con-
cerned. The people had every con-
fidence in their ability to select a pres
ident, and they were very careful to
choose as electors only those persons
who would reflect the popular Will
Thus the electoral college came to be
merely an empty form, ar as the
constitutional function of choosing a
president is concerned. 1t is very far |
from being an empty form in that it |
provides system which gives the !
smaller states more power in proportion
to their population than would obtain |
in a direct vote; and thus makes the |
selection of a minority president pos |
sibIe
The fathers declined the proposition
to vest the power of selecting a pres
ident in the hands of Congress out of .
consideration for the integrity of the
tripartite system Of government they
were establishing, in which the checks |
and balances of and between the ex-
ecutive, judicial and legislative de-
partments were so nicely adjusted.
But Congress soon perceived that the
electoral college was amenable to the
popular will. Therefore it set about to
captain and command that will. thus
virtually giving Congress the power to
name the president.
Political parties appeared in Con
gress before lines were drawn among
the people. The Congressional caucus
was the result. From 1883 until 1900
the presidents were named by informal
party caucuses of members of Con n
gress, The attacks on "King eau
GUS We're begun in the public :
press as early as 1900, although
the first formally eonvoked nominating I
caucus was not held until 1904. From
that time until 1924. king Caucus -
ruled supreme, and the presidents were
in fact chosen by the members of Con-