The morning journal-courier., 1908-08-18
Tuesday, August IS, 1908.
VIVA voCE VOTING.

The esteemed Hartford Courant makes the suggestion, and follows 1t up with an interesting treatment of the subject, that at the approaching republican state convention at which nominees for state office will be se- lected each delegate be asked to state In open convention his choice. We do not understand that our contemporary desires this rule applied to this par ticular convention only. It's attitude is rather that all delegates to nominating conventions owe 1t to their constituents to let them know how they voted in order that the public may be best safe guarded.
 In suggesting roll call at the ap- preaching convention the Courant says: "A delegate Is a messenger sent to perform for his constituents a par ticular errand. If they choose him to act as he pleases, then he Is at liberty to follow that course. But If they choose him to vote for certain candi- dates or for a certain policy, he must do as he Is directed, or else he commits breach of faith. Whichever course Is taken by those who send him, they are in all honor bound entitled to know what he does. He has no author ity except what they give him and he should be ready to account for what he has done under that authority. It Z will be seen at once that a roll call vote must in the nature of the case eliminate a great deal of the alleged purchase of delegates"
 We yield nothing to the Courant in our desire to have all political acts per formed in the open. where everybody entitled to know shall know what has been done in the name of free cleo torate. No possible objection can be offered to roll call vote in convention, as proposed, in morals or sound political doctrine, provided the laws of the state are particular in ev- cry way in safeguarding the various steps which lead up to the assembly of the nominating convention. It Is con ceivable, for example, that at the ap- preaching republican convention roll call might constitute an act of injus- tice in that the steps which have led up to 1t have been made so complicated by absurd tradition and sharp politica practice that free and untrammeled expression of opinion may have become impossible. The situation as 1t has beer framed up is not the work of spon- taneous demand for MT. Lilley, whose political experience has been limited but is the work of the managing poll ticians, who selected him year and z half ago, and whose power to dominate must be traced to a number of cir cumstances not one of which has it 
 roots in popular government.
 The caucus registration law Is { menace to the free expression of popu lar will, in that 1t possesses an inquisi torial character which a majority 0 the citizens of the state resent. It f not the business of the state to pro tect political parties; 1t is the bushes of the state to protect itself agains usurpation by parties. The nominatinl convention itself has in consequence become an obstacle in the path of fire government. By the arts known to tn skilful politician the nominating con vention has become an instrument fo the registration of the will of the par ty machine and not an instrument fo the registration of the will of the peo pie. The very fact that the majority Q the states of the Union have eithe adopted the direct primary law, o have it under serious consideration can be explained upon the ground an only upon the ground that events an circumstances have together conspire to make the very instrumentalities t record the will of the people the in strumentalities to defeat 1t. What right in itself as for example the ope roll call vote may become under give circumstances only another evil adde to those which precede 1t in preparin for the nominating convention
 If the delegates to the approachn republican state convention were to chosen by the direct primary rule,