Monroe City Democrat., 1908-07-16

l IN ana nave an equal voice IN choosing
/ their standard-bearers; but | submit that
/ never in our history have we had such a
gross exhibition of bOSSiSm and machine
rule as the Republicans of this State have
/ furnished us in this halcyon year of the
primary. Their first step was to have
/ the Supreme Court declare the law un-
constitutional That was the first move
/ they made on the primary cheSs-bOard
| Failing in that. the Statehouse crowd
and a few outlying lords assembled in
I caucus, agreed upon a ticket. and handed
It out TO 4 sUbservient following with
orders to take the dose without a grimace
IN consequence, for all the important
offices there is only one Republican can
didate for each 1t is absolutely a boss
made ticket, covered with machine labels
from head to foot This is worse than
| II was ever possible for the old cOnven-
tion plan to have been for by that nIan
there were at least numerous delegates
assembled from every county to express
the choice of their constituencies. But
mere uhdeT the primary system, which
was established 10 give every man an
opportunity to express his individual
cnOlce. 4 dozen Republican bosses plotted
together and arranged the party program
The people were not even permitted TO
sit in the gallery as spectators much
less 10 nave voice In the proceedings
Their part was simply to gulp down what
was handed them. So arrogant and ou-
nlpotent were these bosses that any man
daring 10 cross their path took his no.
litical, and sometimes his OFFICIAL. life
IN his hand. as poor Gentry can testify.
With Democrats it has been different
II.
in spirit as we'll as letter. The field was
LETT open and every man desiring to run
mas had an equal chance to enter. do not
KNOW VINO viii be nominated on the Demo-
cratic ticket, but from among the array Of
excellent names before the DeOple n ticket
Is certain to be selected which will com
mand the public confidence With all the
candidates for Governor nv relations are
pleasant; indeed, / may -sav that with
them l nave long sustained relations Of
I PttS,'h'tl irIenuShlp. some over-buSy mis-
chlet t-InakerS here and there have endeay-
ored TO identify me in a particular wav
with the candidacy of Mr. CoU-bard
have a very high regard for Mr. Con-
herds integrity, ability and force ~
character, but so have also for the
other candidates. 1 wish to saw novy
once for all, that have not at a1v time
sought to promote or to retard the cam
qldacy or any man for the Governorship.
l nave mad no candidate for Goyernor.
nave not sought to get anv man into
the race or out of it; l have not at
) tempted to interfere for or against any
& IL I,1,t Nhetner others have done so
IL. II Is not my province to say, but that I
have studiously kept aloof from these nri-
mary contests 1 assert with the greatest
conndencey and challenge any man fo
point to a single concrete fact To tba
contrary 1 have many warm, personal
trends supporting each of these candi-
udleS ior Governor, and for that reason
as well as because of nv relation to tbe
men themselves, I have kept nv hands
out OF the contest. All 1 wish is that
every voter would weigh the merits of
every candidate for every office and IN
the exercise of his own good iuGa-n1ant lo1T ~
! Eote Tor the nomination Of the man he
believes will discharge the duties of ths
office with the greatest dignity, abiIifV
: ana efficiency. When the ticket is nomi-
hated need not say that 1 will do INV
utmost to aid in carrying the party flag
to victory. -1Se
A word now as to the senatorial nri-
mary and l am done. Judging by Gov
eraor Folks public utterances he and
are agreed upon certain things reIaT-
; agreed that the candidate receiving the
. larger number of Democratic votes9that
rs EOIes Poiled on the Democratic ticket
II lhe Nnole State at the november eIec-
ton, will be the nominee of the Marty.
secondly, we are agreed that If anv
EoIes are cast on Republican tickets for
) Democratic candidate, whose name ia
printed on the Democratic ticket those
, republican votes must be separately re-
J turned by the election officers, and can
not De carried over and added to the
votes received by the candidate on the
Democratic ticket, for that would be to
! allow Republicans to take part in deter
mining the issue between Democratic
candidates; thirdly, We are agreed that
every Democratic member OF the Gem
, | eral Assembly viii be morally bound TO
, use all honorable means to secure the
, election OF the nominee; and, fOurthIy,
We are agreed that every Democratic
candldate at the August primary for
either house of the legislature Should
, be required before the day of the pri-
mary to publicly and unequivocalIy
1t is to be hoped that the Kentucky
hasco will not be repeated in Missouri.
The Republican organization of the
state has apparently determined to con-
test the validity of this senatorial pri-
mary law. l regret that this is so. Why
do they wish to contest it? What harm
can the law do, since it only gives the
electors of each party an opportunity to
express individual preferences fer Sen
atOr? 1t cannot very greatly concern the
Republican party in any event, for pre-
| sumo the machine will select IFS P1nIi-
date for Senator, as 1t has for Governor
and other State offices, and then, how
ever selected, there is fortunately no
danger of a Republican Senator this
year. 1t may be that the law was not
formulated with the precision and care
it ought to have been, but if the Of
ficers of election and all candidates shall
seek in good faith to enforce its pro-
visions, it is ample to serve the purposes
intended. AT most, the objections to IL
are technical l believe the law TO be
constitutional, and in that opinion 1 have
been confirmed by the Judgment of law
yers of high repute. l expressed that
opinion months ago in two public inter
views, one published in St. Louis and the
other in Kansas City. l declared my ad-
herence to the law and my belief in its
validity when the question of its valid
ity was first suggested Still, strange
ly, at a later period, although 1 was
the first to speak on the subject, some
marplOtS sought to raise a doubt as to
my position. OF all things the peanut
politician, who is sort of human mos
not only for the law, but l shall certain
ly do all in my power to uphold it. II
Rel ublicans persist in an effort to set
it aside on narrow technical grounds,
they must take the consequences before
the people for that unworthy act. For
myself. l am more than willing to have
the Democrats of Missouri say at the
polls whether they desire to continue me
in the public service.
In this connection let me add. that
hope this campaign for nominations will
be conducted by all candidates with
acrimony has been injected into the cam
paign. Republicans, of course, would be
delighted to see bitter, disOrganizing
personal strife between rival Democratic
candidates, such as was carried on in
Kentucky and more recently in TenneS-
see, and regret to see that some in
discreet Democrats mere and there are
apparently disposed to do and to advise
things calculated to bring about repe-
tition of the Kentucky and Tennessee
experience in Missouri. For myself
shall avoid as far as possible becoming
a party to i strife Of that kind and
fore, that my friends will follow my
example and speak, as far as possible,
| without offense to other candidates or
their friends. 1t is all right to support
ones own friend with vigor, but there Is
little need of saying eXasperadng things
of other Democrats. We must not only
nominate but elect our candidates. Let
US fight Republicans, not each other.
A word more and am done. 1t does
me no special credit to say that in pub
lie office l have sought to do my duty
to my State and country, but whatever
the measure of my success, it gives me
no claim to the suffrages of the people
It is their business and duty to measure
men, taking into consideration their ser
vice experience and capacity for use
full work in the particular field where
their activities are to be employed, and
10 decide what is the best for the public
| interest. Upon that ground 1 am willing
| to stand or fall. I have no appeal to
make for myself. The only appeal 1