Gilpin observer., 1908-09-03
The Direct Primary
Nomination Movement
BY Edward p Costiean IN Clay's Review, Denver

Great in many ventures, alike of
war and peace, the trainers of the
United States constitution were in no
respect greater than in this: That
they were both among the seers and
molders of the worlds vastest self-gov-
erning movement. Considered as an
isolated fact, the Federal constitution
Is compromise Of singular radicalism
and weighty conservatism. Examined
as a product of the days preceding
the famous Revolution,
when France in wrath her giant
limbs upreared,
And with an oath that smote earth,
sky and sea
Stamped her strong foot and swore
she would be Free"
1t is a marvelously progressive docu-
ment. Indeed, it would, perhaps, shock
some present-day Americans, who are
accustomed to term Alexander Hamil-
ton as an ultra conservative, to real
ize that measured by his time, Hamil-
ton advocating merely the popular
election of the lower house of Con-
gresS, was a more essentially Demo-
cratic figure than is that citizen who
| today shrinks from the trial of direct
primary nomination, or even, in an ex-
perimental way, of the initiative and
referendum. Yet is this not in fact
very moderate statement? In Amer
ica, in 17S6, while the more immedi-
ate precedents of liberty loving sort,
outside of the experience of the colo
MES themselves, were those of Eng
land they were tied up with numerous
complexities of autocratic fiction and
aggression. The most inspiring prece-
dents for popular self-government then
available were, in truth, to be found
in historic Greece. Those precedents
lay buried in an antiquity of two thou
sand years; they had ruled but linn
tied area, either of space or time;
They were allied with and in a sense
founded on the deplorable practice of
human slavery; they perished in their
pride, and bore with them to the tomb
all save the glory of mind, spirit and
inextinguishable tradition.
Today, in contrast, we boast con-
tinental breadth of republican life;
nation spread in liberty and power
from one to the other of the worlds
greatest seas; almost half hundred
sovereign states united in a sovereign
nationality; and behind us the accom-
plished fact of one hundred and twen-
ty years of constitutional self-govern-
ment.
Direct Primary Experiments.
Twenty of those years have fol-
lowed a notable revolt against the
purchase and theft of general cleo
tions. That revolt began with the in
PRODUCTION in Massachusetts in 1888,
and has included since the practical
universal adoption of the Australian
| secret ballot; and through almost ten
Of those twenty years Ito call only
part of the rolD We have been per-
mitted to measure the results Of the
| trial, either under state laws or par
| ty rules, of direct primary nomina-
tions in such commonwealths as Min
nesota, Oregon, Illinois, Wisconsin,
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Ken
lucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia,
and more recently Oklahoma, Kansas,
Iowa, Missouri and Washington.
Within few years-as part, no doubt.
of the same general trend of life and
thought-more than thirty state Legis-
latures with solemn 'formality have
expressed themselves affirmatively in
behalf of the election of United States
senators by direct vote of the people;
and within the bounds of the consti-
tuition, the people of Iowa, Oregon and
Kansas have recently undertaken, and
the people of Wisconsin soon will en-
deavor to impress in advance their
choice for United States senator's on
the respective state Legislatures on
which the formal selection is legally
imposed. The popular self-assertion
thus revealed recalls with force that
historic sequence Of events through
| hirh ha Nf Init to fn
have swept aside, except in name, the
Constitutions Electoral College, and
have taken to themselves, in all save
form, the right of direct popular elec-
ton of the President Of the republic.
And the end is not yet. 1t is apparent
that the river of equalizing human
life and opportunity, rising from the
Middle Ages with the discovery of
America, draws ever nearer the uni
versal ocean of self-governing democ-
racy.
Satisfactory Results.
But what have been the results of
the direct primary nomination expert
ment? Remembering always that any
popular law is only an opportunity,
and that its mere letter will kill, un-
less the spirit Of the people keep 1t
alive, remembering also the resist
ance Of the corruption and intrigue
attempted to be shorn by the direct
primary system-we should not be
surprised at bitter criticism, and even
at the occasional failure of laws Grip
pied by adroit political hostility. Ad-
verse criticism there has, in fact, been,
but 1t Is doubtful whether any signal
failure has yet received the record Of
general consent. The conservative
New York Nation has testified to the
satisfaction with which direct pri-
mary elections have been hailed in
Minnesota, the earliest state in this
field Of experiment. Oregon writer's
express no doubt of the value and dis
eliminating operation of their system;
Washington's recent trial, watched