New-York tribune., 1909-09-12
PEDTSCOVERY NEEDED.

The startling discoveries made by Assem-
blyman Conkln and hsSfellow explorers into
1he mysteries of the direct nominations system.
as practised in the Western states. 10 not seem
10 be taken at full face value at the scene Of
discovery. Our innotents abroad came back
10 New York with the announcement that Wis
consin. Iowa and Kansas were in a dreadful
condition of political anarchy" Mr.. Conkln
thus graphically described the situation:
in Wisconsin there is no longer Republican
party and q Democratic party. There arc sew
'ral personal factions, the most prominent of
which are the StalWarts and the Half Breeds
The latter the followers Of la Toilette and
the former are his opponents. Those who We're
81 one time Democrats have disappeared and
have gone into the Republican party. called,
10 vote at the primaries. To some extent
the same state of affairs exists in Iowa and
Kansas and everywhere else where this system
Of direct nominations is in operation, The
minority party has been swallowed up.
We permitted ourselves 10 ask recently. if the
Democratic minority in these states had dis
appeared since the direct nominations system
was adopted. how the Democratic vote had in
creased in Wisconsin from 1906 in 1904 to
1G6.6S2 in 1908. the destructive primary having
been instituted in the interval between those
two elections. We also inquired why. under
similar conditions, the Democratic vote in Iowa
had risen from 1871 in 1904 to 200.77l in
y
party which thus materially increases lis vote
is at the same time being driven out Of exist
ence
The statement that factionaism has been
fomented in Wisconsin and Iowa by direct
nominations has Just as little foundation Any
one with an elementary knowledge of Wiscon-
sin or Iowa politics knows that factionaiism in
those states was more aggravated four years
ago than il Is now. In Wisconsin the Repub-
lican party split in 1904 and two delegations
were sent TO the Republican National Conven-
ton The national convention seated the anti
Ia Foette delegates, but the courts cf WIS
consiu decided later that the La Toilette fac
ton had rightful control Of the party ma
chinery There were two Republican state
tickets il the field in 1904 Since primaries
have bseI held there has been of necessity only
one Republican ticket.
In Iowa the factional contest between the
Progressiv6s and the Conservatives has been
greatly abated since the statewide primary
offered the means for 3 really decisive test Of
strength. To say that direct nominations have
widened factonsl breaches in the party in
Iowa is 70 contradict obvious facts. We quote
on that point the following testimony from
The Des Noines Register and Leader.
That the factionalism in the Republican party
II Iowa, 10 use the common designation for dlI-
1erences in the party, not only developed under
the caucus and convention, but grew directly out
cf tie manipulation Of caucuses and conventions
by what was known as the 90 machine, IS q
matter Of such recent political record that It is
surprising that a BODY Of New York politicians
could have spent day in Des Noines without
learning all bout II.
Iowa is not q strange and distant country
from which fantastic travellers tales can be
brought back and related here with impunity
Mr.. Conklin and his associates ought TO make
another trip through the West and ind out
what the West really thinks Of their "discov-
cries