The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1908-09-26
JUDGE SHORB ON
Direct PRIMARY

that Representative French is author
lty for the statement that the people
are demanding the direct primary,
and that should the republican party
have failed to insert that plank in
the county platform, the republican
party would have been defeated in the
north
| should like to say a few words on
the subject of the direct primary if
you will permit me to burden the col
umns of your paper to a slight ex-
tent.
In the II years that l have been a
voter have supported the democratic,
republican and prohibition parties. As
member of each of these parties l
have given the party of my choice
loyal support, and this year l am
wholly without any party, and 1 be-
lieve, without party bias. l am as the
spectator at the circus, and as such
impartially view the three rings, ele-
waited stage and hippodrome Of the po-
litical circus
| have no more interest in the per-
formers or the circus than the spec
tator usually has, and, therefore, l
come upon this direct primary bust
ness as I would the Chinese juggler
or the knife-throwing artist in the
circus. And what do l find?
1 find a principle of government
without argument and without AIDE
quate discussion, suddenly elevated to
foremos frank among political prin
ciples, and tossed about by the poll
tician with the dizziness the juggler
does his Spheres
What is the direct primary, and
what great good has it accomplished?
And how has the peoples great de-
mand for this principle been evil
denced?
Let us pick up the direct primary
principle, take it from it's place as a
shibboleth, take it apart and see what
IL ID l1CtuC Ol AC1 IL IL 10 a wi GU
principle, let us adopt it; if it is not,
let us cast it into the junk heap as
Bryan has had to do with 16 to 1 and
Imperialism.
We have a primary law in our state
where a judge and a clerk receive
votes, and where the member of his
party can go and by his vote deter
mine who shall represent him in the
party councils. The principle seems
to be a good one, and if the citizen
performs his duty as a member of his
party, the wishes of the party can be
measurahly expressed. But in this
primary very few interest them
selves, and as a result it is easily con-
trolled by the designing. Now, the
direct primary goes a step further
Instead of voting for delegates to the
county convention, each member Of
the party votes for the candidates di-
rect and if this applies to all state
county and municipal officers, the di-
rect primary does away with all party
conventions.
We will say now that we have the
direct primary law in force, and We
are holding a primary in West Cald
we'll precinct for state officers. Tht
and the voter goes up to the ballotin9
place, and takes a piece of paper will
the offices designated and a blanl
space for his choice. We will suppos,
that he begins to fill out his ticket
Where will he get his candidate
from? Is his experience so great tina
he can select the best man for the of
flee from the several parts of tn
state or is he left to select his mel
from his immediate friends and &C
ouaintances: You will immediatel
come to the conclusion that he mus
either select the men in office at tn
present time or make use of tn
names of personal friends, or that /
some way the names of other men ar
provided. And the only way thes
names can be provided is for the car
didate to in some way get his nam
before the voters and to do this h
must advertise. 1t means that tn
candidate for office must make tw
campaigns, one to be nominated; I'll
other to be elected after he is nom
mated. And to make Il campaign IL
nomination would be expensive, al
II no campaign was made how wou
that dear voter down In West Caldwe
precinct of Canyon county know TIL
he was in the running? And to pro
erly campaign the state of Idal
would take two or three thousaI
dollars at least, to say nothing of Il
time and uncertainty involved. II