Gunnison news-champion., 1908-09-11
The Direct Primary
Nomination Movement


bAo eosA 10 SAS 0 - sseDArlA y tsrsa
sxs~srsencs U'sh PRIMARY ssn.lsAzs<ssss
~TAs psacsical trial of the lac re
suited " sss senersl approval throSssh-
est sss sssse. Ths co0seessss made
for n ~ tAoss She advocated iss
sdovssss Sss Justified"
Aad " kanAsa. within . fee weeks.
widespread satisfsct.oa hss bss.a en-
pressed over the saaess' EepudsAtioa
~ tkss means a pskltc officials whose
tiaeitsy 70 sA< Sesessl welfare had b.
ooos - oAlrct A suspscsoa-
aasaoiav ~ evs0asy 49,
n Cossssao has s0s-As sscsDs .
land u psoasers-keaded sAe 1sscA af
this saGssescans and ps0phstsc move
meat. Il u II beaot coaAlortinE to re
caM tAaA secA u ms lseAaaS political
srona1sastoes u times psst. v sss,s
gavGs0bls aatituAe. Co0fOrttAG. ] SAY.
any ooe eaRtltos eth The psocttcal
0spegoti<zns u OHr n00snatinG end esec
tive 0acAiossy that the direct D0Galna-
ttoa sysGeo u sAs Easa natural and
eGficieat sid-h h ~ N fat. n0t In
dtassossble-to ssccessfsl represseta-
tive 0overnasent Ia 1oct, n reVTe-
seatasase GOserN0eat ~ Ue know II 's
70 cO14inHe, II II 10 oOt to Se sup
plasted ~ . prsctscsily pure aeD"e-
racy Whese most eelictsat to0ls are
TIE tnitta4ive, seeeseadun and recall
the people directly assIntng the
burdsa e making and nuliAyinG the
laWs-tt - certain tAae means must
be devised for compelling legislatures
To eRbOdy N statutes, and euecutives
to eeforce, 1ar more genuinely the ma
lure p0pUlar sense u justice among
Re0.
Gvsas - aaasAsas NssMiss.
The necessiay FOR the direct n0miRa-
tiOa system V too geoeraliy under
st0s,d to require re-statement. 1t Is
found In the freQUeRt failure, under
the rule of caucus and convention
nOniaatiOas. u the whole scheme Of
representative GoveruReRt Years ago
james Rassell Lowell wrote:
We vould not tolerate for . mo-
meat . fiseA tury to pass ~ the life
Of s3Agis Individual: yet ~ are con
tent 20 lsavs The life a our nation to
the mercy Il . PACKED Convention"
Much mere rscestly william Trav-
ers 1erOoe. n . DetevOrthy cam
poign. stated The caoe this vay:
'Oos a ths greatest evils q the
pfeoeot time - that certain small
groups Of nea have. asd In some in
stances . siRgbe maa has obtained
coatr0 u the executive machinery Of
veatiOns, ond stand betWoea the public
servaat snA the veters."
AnA vtthaa D0t many weeks Gov
erDoe Hughes q Nov YOrk. Ae0anA-
iAG TIE eaactDeaG q . NV n acosed-
anee WITH the state c0astttuttsa, vas
c0npelled t. use harsh words Nike
These eoaosrning the OppssitiOa co.,
froetine him:
The inissity 10. thst behind every
seAator h . boss. and behind every
boss 10 . special interest that uses
the boss"
rhs 0sessa ers~sry shs os,SeIse.
Such being acknowledge peaitical
conditions. nov and IN the past, where
the people coming to their own have
not dethr0ned the political manipala-
tors of caucuses and conventions. Is II
any matter for wonder that the public,
more and more aroused. has more and
more assumed the direct dominating
power for executive. Legislative and
judicial Offices, 10 long resigned to
corrupt any designing manipulatOrs
Herbert Spencer once said:
mo human being, however wise or
good. 10 tit to be sole ruler over the
doings q a. Involved eociety."
And n our republic has any vitality.
this truth 10 ssite "a applicable to the
political boss Of New York. o. Phlla-
delpAia. - Cincianati. or San Fran
cisco. or Denver. ~ to any throaed
end autOcfatic monarch. Under ade-
quate primary no9inatioa laws II il
possible to wipe out The shame Of
cities and q states; to substitute the
selection in the first Instance by our
people Of our office holding class; anG
to create aAoag ouf officials, Q new,
finer and moro eeMfespectinG alie-
glance.
osvsa asass~s ~ . $~swaey Isw n
cssses1s.
TIE following, then, are Q feW rea-
sons calling for the adoption 0f an
honest direct primary nomination Law
in Colorado:
efnment-to the selection Of officials
na0ed BY the people and responsible
to them, Who will make and enforce
laws IN response to deliberate public
demands.
It will tend to assure Q more willing
and efficient civil service. and leeisla-
tioa for the general welfare instead Of
for special interests.
Il will tend to eliminate the political
boss and his grossef exhibitions of
political vice.
Il will restore our govefnnent to
sinpse first pPiaciples.
h yin make easy other required
ballot law amendmeats for facilitating
snA making intelligent tie expressed
vii Il TIE voters.
Il viii augment the sway q public
opiAioa for public ends.
1t viii tend 70 guarantee gradual
| rather than violeat. and evolutionary
| rather than revolutiooafy political de-
velopment.