Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-03-19

Tor By TIE new Pfimary lew Y likely
Ito lead to some serious and embar'
RAISING complications. The members
Of political party maybe compelled
J to support candidate who Is per
sonaIly opposed to the principles con.
taiped in the party.
The primary provides for aParty
council which shall consist Of all the
nominees for state officers, fpF United
States senator, for members Of con-
gress, for state senator's, for repre-
sentatives In the Legislature, hold
over United States senator's. hold over
state senators, the national COM
mitteeman and the chairman o. the
county central committee Of each
county in the state.
This party council is to meet on the
. last Tuesday Of August after all candi-
dates are nominated and the result
declared and forthwith formulate
state platform for their party" In
other words, after the candidate has
been nominated he is to be told what
political principles he shall advocate
and what principles he shall de-
nounce.
Heretofore it has been the policy Of
political parties to formulate plat
form Of principles and then find a
candidate who will pledge bis support
to those principals. The new pri-
mary law provides for the nomination
Of the candidate who does not know,
who cannot know, what bis party
platform will be and when it is too
late for the people to make any change
in their candidate party platform is
made upon which such candidate is
compelled to run or resign and for
whom the party voter must cast his
ballot or bolt, irrespective as to
whether such candidate believes in a
single plank Of said platform or not.
Should q candidate for congress
make his primary canvass advocating
the immediate revision Of the tariff
and the immediate abandment Of the
Philippines, his party council three
weeks after he is nominated may for
mulate platform Of the "stand pat"
or ''let weir enough alone" doctrine,
and declare in favor Of the retention
Of the Philippines.
Should candidate for governor
succeed in getting plurality Of the
votes at the primary by talking hard
in favor OF the primary election law,
the board Of control law, the new tax
law, and the guarantee deposit law,
his party council may formulate a
platform denouncing the newprimary
as cumbersome, expensive and dis
crimating in favor OF the rich candi-
date and against the poor man; and
denouncing the new board Of control
law, because it costs $4,000 more
annually than the former method of
controlling our state institutions; and
denouncing the new tax law as in
equitable. and unjust. It is not at all
certain or probable that the majority I
Of the party council will agree entire I
ly on the party policy with q candi-
date who is nominated by only q
plurality vote or even 3 majority J
vote and when the party council get I
together they are not bound by the /
peculiar individual notions Of any /
candidate. They may, IL they see t
proper formulate . platform directly q
antagonistic to the individual views I
Of any, candidate. Under such cir |
what would the candi- t
date doP What could his party doP {
Either the candidate must change his
colors or bis party must vote for 3
candidate whom they know is opposed t
to their party platform, .
This party organization machinery q
is very like pushing maR out into
the river telling him to swim and
founder about and try and keep bis
head above water until boat can be
"formulated'' for him to ride In.
Cost Of q County.