Morris tribune., 1908-09-26
THE PRl1ARY.

5
THE pRl1ARY
On account of the ease with which Demo
Gratis vote in Republican primaries or Re
pub1icans in Democratic primaries, or the vot-
er changes from party to the other, in
counties that are evenly divided between the
parties, some editors suggest that the primary
be abolished altogether. The suggestion is APP
parently made facetiousy, yet there is much OF
merit in it. It is a missioner to call a person
nominated at the present primary party
nominee, because there is such thing as
party politics in county affairs, and the party
ties which unite voters in national parties are
shadowy in county politics. political party
in order to be party in fact must be an or
ganization of voters banded together to &C
complish or oppose a certain public policy In
county affairs there is no organization, and the
primary affords opportunity for the organi-
cation, if there were one, to gather together,
and deliberate upon party affairs and outline
public policy Again there is question Of
public policy in the conduct of county affairs
which divides the voters sufficiently to be the
basis of a party division. Time when
county officials were the subalterns of the ma
tional and states parties, but this has changed
since the present primary adopted, and in
asmuch as the present day county official owes
nothing of his election to the national party Of
which he happens to be a member, therefore
that party cannot expect him to endanger his
own chances of success at the poles in order to
assist the party Voters with most decided
views on national issues think nothing of vot-
ing with the opposition in county affairs.
All these facts simply show that the old
party divisions in county affairs and the pre-
sent primary are not made to work together,
The primary is like new wheel fitted to- an
old and out of-date machine. The whole
machine is thrown out of time and nothing
works we'll. Under the present system, there
is less chance for independent candidates than
formerly, and also less chance for nonpartizan
nominations. A large number of the voters
practically disfranchised in the selection of
county officers, and do not and will not accept
the theory that the primary is party caucus.
They regard it election. and that is what
it usually is in fact, in spite of the theory to
the contrary. AS election, all the voters
should have a voice in it, and we therefore
sent day conditions. Practically, this could be
done in several ways, and one way would be to
make an independent nomination easier so
that most county contests would be between
independent nominees at the general election.
Another method would be to put all the names
on one ballot and if person received major
ity let him be declared elected, but if he re-
ceived only plurality, let the two highest con
test for the Office at the election. Or abolish
the primary altogether, and let anyone run at
the election, who could secure enough signers
to petition to demonstrate that his candidacy
was bona fide
Since political parties exist to oatline and
forward public policies, the primary is not the
proper mode of selecting candidates for legis
lative, state or gressonal positions, but this
| is another story.