The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-07-10
cRITIcIsINe THE PRIMARY

for a fun share of adverse criticism
and strangely enough the bulk of the
criticism comes from those who were
loudest in advocacy of its adoption ten
years ago. Ten years ago these crit
les were ready to condemn a man to
outer darkness who ventured to sug-
gest that the adoption of the primary
would not r. can the ushering in Of the
millennium in state political affairs
When the conventions didn't go 70
suit them they declared the cOnven-
tons had been corrupted and called
Justify and long for the primary. They
got the primary. The primary has
gone against them and they now pro-
nounce all sorts of maledictiOns on
this method of nominating party can
didates.
Some of these erstwhile friends of
the primary want the law governing
the elections amended while others
want the system throttled and thrown
overheard without further ceremony
Notable among the latter class of crit
les is the Bronson Times-DemOcrat
Editor Farmer is very denunciatOry
Of the primary. Read what he says
of il in the following paragraph:
"The worst campaign OF Islander and
abuse ever seen in Florida has just
closed and we hope never to see an
other like it. In fact this paper is
ready to see the primary system abOl
ished for the following reasons: It is
expensive. 1t engenders enmity and
strife between neighbors. 1t gives
men an opportunity to SANDER and ira.
duce good men so that the voter is un,
able to determine which is right. II
encourages grating. II forces the
man TO seek the Office rather than the
Office seeking the man. Ii forces the
voter to choose between the candi-
dates who offer themselves. whereas
a convention would go out and seek
the best men. A second primary is a
hardship on both the people and the
candidates. II is most corrupt and
demoralizing because it makes the
campaign of such long duration. 1t
gives the people no more satisfaction
than the convention and the cost is
too great and growing greater. Its
passing will mark the return to sanity
in politics"
This is a strong arraignment that
Editor Farmer makes, but in cOnSid-
ering il the reader must not sweep of
his feet by Editor Farmers eIOQuence,
1t must be borne in mind that Editor
Farmer is sore. He has a personal
grievance against the primary. Three
times in succession it has laid him out.
That is enough TO make anybody feel
sore. Ut doesn't make Bro. Bittinger
sore.-Ed. Banner) And then, too,
Editor Farmer is sore because
the primary has failed of the
great mission that was cut out
for it by some of its early advocates.
1t has failed to land the leaders of the
faction 10 which Editor Farmer be-
longs into Office and keep them there,
wherefore it is n. G.
The truth is that the primary elect
ion system of nominating candidates
is all right The principal is good
and the law governing the elections
needs no tinkering. The law is full
and complete and contains every es-
sential provision for ar-iying at the
untrammeled choice Of a majority OF
the electors. That is as far as the
law can 90. If there are abuses there
is ample law u correct them, if only
il is invoked. and the Telegraph be
lieves il should be invoked in each
and every violation. but We do not be
lieve we should set up whimsical com
plants against the primary system
nor be led into abolishiug this mode
of making party nominations simply
because a few disappointed office
seekers find it does not serve their
purposes as well as they had hoped
If we gave heed to the whims of These
persons we would be continually
changing from primary to convention
and from convention to primary.
When We had the convention they
told US it was a cess pool Of corrupt
ion and We changed to the primary as
a means OF deliverance from our mani
fold sins. Now they tell US the pri
mary is corrupt and want us to 80
back TO the convention. 1t looks like
the best thing TO do is to not pay much
attention 10 them.-Starke Telegraph