Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-03-11
CHANGING VIEWS.
From the Milwaukee Evening Wiscon
sin.)

blN.J
Opinion in Wisconsin on the subjec,
OF the primary election law has under
gone remarkable Quotations. Among its
root and branch opponents now are somo
who were IT'S earliest friends.
Perhaps the reason why many were ut
FIRST inclined to sing It's praises was tina
they let their imaginations work too un-
rtstrainedly on It's possibilities Of good.
without troubling themselves as to its
possibilities Of evil. That It contained
possibilities OF evil was vociferously de-
MED by those who framed It and refused
to have tho original bill amended even
to the extent OF dotting an 1 or cross
Ing a {. There II on operation Of the
mind in which men reach queer con-
illusions. Macaulay describes II in ac-
counting for the universal popular delu-
sion that makes people speak Of the
good old times as II the old times
were better than the present. Existing
discomforts usually seem much greater
than they really are. Past d!scomforts
generally are forgotten. The present is
subjected to the disadvantase Of under
going comparison with an ideal past that
never existed.
NHSu tHc pTlfldTy SicCllOu law ildu
become a reality II did not take long
for consideration Of It's working to TAX
q practical form. Those most conspicu-
Gus in forcing its enactment were en-
20 ged In amending It before It had gone
into actual operation. and some OF them
we're for a radical change-"Mary Ann
amendment-whlch was defeated. A cur
ious thing II would have been II that
leap-in-the-dsrk proposition had been a
dopted before a chance had been afford
ec to witness the operation Of the orig
inal l~aw-hardly nero curious. however,
than the sudden acceptance Of the elab-
crate and revolutionary measure itself,
Instead OF following the evolutionary
process out Of which have grown most
Of the best OF Anzlo-Saxon political In
stitutions.
The generality OF the people accepted
the primary election law because in good
faith they believed II to be the political
mace II was represented TO be. When
the very physicians who had recon-
nended it as a sovereign remedy wanted
tc alter the prescription after II had
teen compounded but before II had been
administered there was reason why the
patient should begin to feel some slight
beginnings Of distrust. But the general
desire was to try tho Law and "give II
a chance" The mass Of the people OF
Wisconsin are reasonable ard fair.
IT is not improbable that after the
neither over the senatorial election has
subsidized there will be a strong !Hclina-
ton to reform the law. The Madison
democrat, which was not always thus
Ia now for It's repeal. The Democratic
party declared itself for q primary slec.
ton law in it's platform OF 1895. whereas
Is was not Till 1900 that the republican
platform contained a plank in favor o!
such a law. The Madison democrat has
revised itself on this issue no mora com.
pletely han has its party. 1t has A new
panacca to propose in place OF the one
that has not worked accordingto expec.
~tations. The democrat says
Cut out clean and effectually the un
authorized use OF money in the nomi,
nation and election OF public officer,
and then no primary election law 1,
needed: then the towns will have repre-.
sentation In selecting public oficcrs
then the taxpayers OF the State. q
counties, towns, cities and villages. will
be saved at least $4,000 for holding q
useless primary election: then 1t will b
safe, cheap and honest TO return 10 thu
olc convention system.
There Is a corrupt practices act, under
which any one found guilty OF usinl
money for improper purposes in cleo
tons may be punished as he ought t
be. When talk Of corruption Is so ram
pant az 1t has been at times. ard nj
proceedings are had under this law. on,
OF two things must he true-either tina
the charges are false or that too niue,
, dependence may be placed upon thu
effcacy OF statutes. There are wise stu
dents OF affairs and OF human natur,
who affirm that vigilant enforcement o
4 existing statutes is often a better thin
v than the hasty enactment OF new ones.