The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-08-12
THE PRIMARIES.


For many years there has been a
wall going up from certain persons In
both parties, and their number has
not been insignificant, calling for the
primary system OF selecting candi-
dates for the elections. They have
been claiming that conventions have
been controlled; that the will of the
majority in the party has not been
registered by the delegates to the con-
ventions and that rings have been
formed to nominate. There is no
denying the fact that conventions
have been controlled in some instances
and that boss rule can be more easily
established under convention plan
than in primary. Instances OF boss
controlled conventions have not been
nearly so numerous. however, as has
been alleged. The defeated candidate
in a convention has found some solace
while the sting Of defeat was still
sharp, in starting the report that the
machine was against him" This
has been taken up by his friends and
soon the cry is heard 'the convention
was boss controlled" and ut is time
10 upset the ring" Candidates when
they entered a political fight did not
seem to realize that some ones had to
be defeated, and when the sting came,
they found solace in hearing their
fineds talk about bosses and boss con-
tolled conventions with the machine
against them.
This has all been wiped out now and
the people have been given the prim-
ary, which. when properly controlled
and relieved OF a superabundance
OF red tape, is the proper way to select
candidates. But the primary plan has
its objections, just as there were OBJ
tections to the convention plan. The
people now have the system for which
they have been longing. but they find
that, as it exists at the present time,
1t is too cumbersome. There is too
much red tape connected with It and
the probability is that at It's first trial
in September 1t will prove failure.
The ballot this fall is likely to have
a great many vacancies, which must
be filled by names on independent |
tickets, complicating the voting and |
costing many votes. Candidates seem
10th to take the time to circulate a
petition for some Office which is in
significant so far as the salary is con-
cerned and their friends do not take
the initiative. When the day for the
primaries arrives. there is likely TO be
a small vote cast, so that the people |
will find that the will of the majority
has not been registered nearly so well
as by the old convention plan.
We do not advocate a return to the
convention system. The primary is
all right and should be IN vogue. but
the first experinece with the plan
which the legislature has devised in
dicates that 1t Is too complex and that
II VIII be next to impossible to secure
the best results. especially in an elec-
lion where only township and munich
pal officers are to be elected. II is
prot ble that when 1t comes TO coun-
" affairs the plan will work out more
'atisfactorally and that, with time
md experinece. it will prove all right
u municipal elections, but its first
rial promises to be what is commonly
ermed a "dzzle."
Now Is the time for the persons
tho have been clamoring 30 long for /
be primary system. to come TO its i
Dscus and prove that 1t will accom-
- Al that q claimed for It. There
rneja orss sIx moro dsys in which 70 Z