The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-07-31

convention in counties and cities. Even
more potent than these was the con-
slant danger to party organization from
possible bolts a candidate who is
defeated in convention by intrigue is
! much more apt to bolt and head another
ticket than is the candidate who has
been defeated for the nomination by =
majority of the voters of his party.
! The latter is a more convincing defeat.
The voters, finding their power in
nominating minor officers, have gradual
ly reached out until they now control
congressional and state offices, in
majority of the states. The demand
for direct primaries is so strong in
Others that the system bids fair to be-
come universal within decade. The
next move of the direct primary advo-
Gates will be made on the national con.
ventions.
The movement varies in the several
states according to local conditions, of
course For sake of an example, take
4 the case of Tennessee, which is Just now
midway between the convention and
primary system. Two years ago Nj, X.
Patterson, one of the Democratic as
pirants for governor, demanded that the
state committee order a primary. The
convention forces. won and no primary
! was held. But the aspirant who de-
manded the primary was nominated by
the convention and was elect II g,v-
ernor.
! This year, former Senator Edward w.
Carmack became a candidate for the
Democratic nomination against Cover
nor Patterson, and he demanded direct
. | .rt Dec Ill "A
city nominations and all congressional
, nominations in Tennessee are now made
. by primaries. Nearly all of the Demo,
} cratic county committees joined in q
. request to the state committee to leave
the contest for governor to direct
primary. But the state committee,
| friendly to Governor Patterson, declin-
| ed to accede to these demands and in
. stead, ordered a primary-conventi
: plan. Under this scheme a general pri-
: mary election is being held in Ten
, nessee today. The two aspirants for
/ governor will be voted for in each
county, and the delegates to the nom
| mating convention will be instructed to
vote as unit for that candidate receiv.
: ing majority in the county.
, Thus the electoral college plan is
practically applied to the race. Senator
Carmack has made the direct primary
: an issue in the campaign, and has de-
! clared that he will not accept the nom
:, nation unless he has popular majority
? of the votes cast over the whole state.
Q Governor Patterson defends the pri-
l mary convention plan and says that he
5 will take the nomination if he has a
majority of the delegates, even if his
opponent has the majority of the popu-
, lar vote. But as prohibition is
/. the chief issue, the question of
how Tennessee stands ON the di.
/ rect primary question may not be set
: tied. The defeat of Governor Hoke
Smith of Georgia by Little Joe"
. Brown was reactionary in more ways
, than one, as it involved a protest
3 against a direct primary which took
3 away the balance of power from the
smaller counties.
: Kentucky has been one of the most
. conservative of states in its election
] laws, all voting having been done by
: the open viva voce method until 1891.
The last of the states to adopt the
secret ballot, Kentucky now bows to
r the reign of the direct primary. 1t has
been the cause of many party feuds
and fractional fights, but it is now ac.
, cepted as an institution.
Wheth or not the voters in a pri-
mary are wiser in their selection of can
didates than delegates in convention,
is an open question. But the effect of
the primary on party government is un.
doubtedly for the better. Important as
political organizations are to the bust
, ness of government under our system,
it was not until the primary assorted
its power that the parties were given
legal recognition.
The necessity of enacting laws to pro-
tect the primary elections and to pre-.
: vent fraud has caused the legislatures
/. of many states to enact laws which
! govern parties and methods of making
t nominations. This has prevented the
: snap nominations which we're fire.
> quent in the old days when the only
party laws were those promulgated by
the party committee, and which could
be changed at the will of that body.
! If the present disposition of both
! parties to yield more and more to the
: direct primary continues, many great
: changes in American politics may be
: looked for. Suppose that in 1912 there
is demand upon the national com
mittee of one or both of the great
;. parties for a presidential primary. 1t
will be refused, if precedent is follow
ed. Then it may become an issue in the
campaign, the defeat of party candi-
T date may be traced to his attitude on
a the question. Thus it is entirely posi-.
Bile that by 1916 there will be general
, presidential primary.
: 1t would be held, of course, ON the
!. plan of that being held today in Ten.
nessee-the convention delegates from
I each state being bound by the majority
: of the votes cast in their several states.
From this step it is not far to direct
i primary of all the states There is al.
> ready sentiment to aid this develop
Z 2 ment. The Republicans of the northern
: states object to delegations from south
ern states which never east Republican
/, electoral votes controlling Republican
, nominations. In the Democratic con.
vention,. Texas, with its solid majority,
is always outvoted by Pennsylvania,