The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-01-28

|cago-''Bath House" John Cough
Inns and "Hinky Dink" Kenna's-
defeated better men for the Republi-
can senatorial nomination. and he is
having a fight in the legislature. In
Missouri Folk carried IS per cent OF
the legislative districts for the Demo-
cratic nomination; but Stone secured
popular majority in the rotten
wards of St. Louis and Kansas City.
Int would have been better had the
senatorial Instructions gone by dis
tricts instead of by popular vote.
Then the country vote OF Missouri
would not have been nullified by the
foreign colonies OF the large cities.
Il might have been better, too, II
Oregon's primaries would instruct
the legislators to vote for the sena-
torial candidate of their own party
receiving the highest vote, instead Of
making the contest directly between
two representatives OF opposite par
ties. For instance, II the primary
election was a contest between candi-
dates in the same party for the nomi.
nation, the hest man in the party
would receive the instructions, and II
his party had a majority In the legis-
lature, he would be elected. II is not
possible that, IL the best man in the
Republican party had been nominated
for senator, the people would have
chosen a Democrat and then elected
Republican legislature to vote for
him. Republican politicians put out
man they could handle and the
Democrats defeated him with a bet
ter man That is what happened in
oregon, and after administering that
rebuke to their political leaders the
Republicans proceeded to elect men
OF their own party, to the Legislature.
Ii will be blessed thing when the
real popular primary under state
control reaches Kentucky; for 1t Is
absurd to place the party committee
ridden primary of this state In the
same category with those We have
Just mentioned. They are paid for
BY the state and held by state cleo
ton officers. and all parties particle
pate on the same day. SO
In Kentucky party committees,
always factional, name the officers
OF election. and we fail to recall one,
in which charges OF fraud were not
made by the losers. The candidates
themselves pay for them, and the
cost is so high that a poor man ordi-
narily is barred unless he has some
friendly interest back of him, willing
to pay his expenses in return for
what he can do for II.
This sort of primary is a step
worse than the party convention. 1t
makes money the sine qua non OF
the whole institution. Instead OF
presenting public Office in the nature
of a sacrifice, which a freeman makes
for his country or an honor conferred
as the gift of free people, IL pre-
sents the office as a prize which re-
aulres in the first place the invest
ment of a sum of money, varying
according to the financial value OF
the prize the candidate is seeking.
Having invested a sum OF money, or
having such a sum invested for him,
the candidate is spurred on to win,
lby motives other than mere friendly
rivalry or the anticipation of honor
able service to the public. He has a
selfish financial interest in the vic
tory. and his actions thereafter may
be expected to be colored by his sor-
ibid motives. Entering ofice In that
frame OF mind, what else can one ex-
pect, than has been disclosed by in
spection of the states books since a
new administration has been In
charge of them.
The times are growing better; the
people are coming into their own.
Some day the popular primary will be
perfected, as its weak points are dis
closed, and Kentucky will be in line