Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-01

for the supreme judgeship. which was
equivalent to the nomination Of those
candidates. While on the other hand there
were eight aspirants for the honors in
the republican party and every man was
given a fair show insofar as the republi-
cans themselves we're concerned. But right
here Is where the injustice In the primary
law shows itself, for Il gave the democrats
an opportunity to so TO the polls and name
the candidates the republicans should place
in the field against the democratic ticket.
which, as all must admit, is anything but
Just OF fair. II the next legislature does
not kill. or properly amend, the present pri-
mary law II will fail to put into execution
a most popular and important public de-
mand.
Weeping Water Republican: We believe
the primary law is a farce. a useless ex-
penditure Of money without obtaining any
practical good. 1t takes enthusiasm to
conduct politics and all the primary laws
that could be passed would not enthuse
the people enough to come out and vote.
We have a few precincts in Cass county,
whose five Judges and clerks OF election
put in the whole day insCribing on books
bought for the occasion, the votes OF from
eight to twenty voters. Fifteen clerks and
judges OF election in Weeping Water la
bored (O from noon until $50 o'clock at
night inscriblng and counting a total Of
about forty votes. There is some excuse
Tor a farmer who is busy not attending the
primary, but a man in town can go with
out loss of time or money.
Howell Journal Cdem.): Since the recent
primary election we nave heard many ex-
press the opinion that the old caucus and
convention plan was far ahead of the
present system Of making nominations,
that better candidates as a rule were Sc
lected and that, too, at a much less ex-
pense. We want to concur in the opinion
expressed, The primary election law now
on the statutes Of Nebraska is a fine-spun
theory; it looks well on paper. a good
public speaker can make II appear as the
model way of securing nominees for Of
flee, but after all has been said and done.
when II comes to a practical test. IL is a
failure. Not many newspapers will say
so and few politicians will admit 1t, for
at this time 1t is one Of the popular fads.
Just the same the mark OF failure is
upon it.
Columbus Telegram (dem); The prln-
ciple Of the primary is all right. 1t would
be a step backward to repeal the primary
law. We believe that the present law can
be improved in many ways. We want it
improved. We do not want It repealed. IL
the editor should consult his personal likes
he would want to see again the old county
and state nominating conventions. They
were always to an active party man much
like ar annual reunion must be to the old
soldier boys. AT the annual conventions a
politician could count every year upon
meeting the old friends and workers in the
party. He misses the pleasure Of such
meetings now, and signs because they are
not. But there Is no use discussing the
question as to whether or not the primary
plan is an Improvement upon the old CON
ventlon plan. We all know 1t Is. The pri-
mary has come to stay.
York Times: From all parts Of the state
except the metropolitan cities come com.
plants Of the primary law. Its great ex-
pense and lack of interest and the ad-
ditional burden of an extra campaign and
election are the chief causes of complaint.
In some precincts it is reported that the
expenses Of the primary election was over
eight dollars for each vote cast and in
still other precincts there were only two or
three votes polled, which means $40 or s5
per vote at the lowest possible outlay OF
cash. II may be that the old representa-
tive system adopted by the fathers is not
the thing for popular government, but
they thought it was and they were won
drous wise. Certainly no better system
has yet been devised. 1t has it's faults,
as everything that must be executed by
fallible nan must have, but we are in
cllned to think It is the very best that
can ever be devised. -Demagogues, SPELL
binders and political fineworkers want to
get straight at the unsuspecting, busy
multitude, but they are tyrants by nature
and desire a personal government, in
which one man bears sway, without any
to interfere, A primary law may be de-
vised that will be wiser thar the wisdom
of the revolutionary fathers, but it has
not been tried in Nebraska yet.