The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-10-20
DECLARES
PRIMARY LAW IS
FULL OF FLAWS
Former Governor Points Out
Evils in Measure That
Need Correction.

TRENTON, Oct. 20.-Former Gov
ernor Edward Casper Stokes issued the
following statement ON the primary
laws and their detects 10 a reporter Tor
the STAR, who called on HIM at his
office in the Mechanics National Bank
and asked for an interview:
The Murphy ACT of 1913 placed the pri-
maries for the first time under the direc-
ton OF the State election oiilcef5, anu
since that time there nave been no sceles
of violence at the primaries and, with rare
exceptions, they have been hohesliy anu
fairly conducted.
The Murphy Primary Act was a repre-
sentative primary recognizing the fact thht
ours is a representative form oil govern
ment, and providing Tor delegates anu CON
yentions. 1t endeayored to unite the VIZ
tues OF the town meeting with the dement's
of deliberate assembly. 1t provided that
the delegates selected could DE pledeeo 70
vote for special candidates., so tnat the
primary voter selected his delegates with
a view to his choice of candidates. ~
provided also tor "a convention that snould
meet to ratify the choice of the primary
where that choice was "A majority. and 10
deliberate and confer as to a proper choice
where no s man h had S q m renIassnta n lh IN
the convention. no matter what the turn
This act was amended in 1907, ellminat-
ing conventions aud delegates, so far as
county and municipal nominations were
concerned. The latter has now been on
trial for two years, Dut II nus not Hdu
sufficient trial to test Its detects or Its
merits. II Is doubtful il It has had any
influence in changing results within the
respective parties politically. Apparently
the same forces that controlled under the
delegate system still control under the
weakens party ties. and the nominee nm
der the direct primary system is not SO
sure of an election as he would be under
the delegate system. Under the delegate
system Senator Colby was elected Senn-
Tor after a bitter contest. Under the d.
rect primary system Senator Colby was
defeated at the polls. though the primary
contest was much less acrimonious. with
the presidential election In his favor IN
the latter case.
Under the convention system the friends
Of the victorious and defeated candidates
Join together, make the nomination unan-
imous and In n manly way drop the differ
ences OF the contest. Under the direct pri-
mary there is no method provided by which
the adherents Of the successful and unsue-
eessful candidates can shake hands after
a fair fight. Their forces, therefore,, have
no opportunity to unite In a treaty or good
will.
An important feature, both of the pri-
mary aud election, Is to have the issue
Clearly defined. Where 1t Is confused, the
result Is never satisfactory. AT u primary
where there are candidates for Freeholders.
for Council, for Assembly, for Senator and
for the various county offices each candi-
date will have his followers with whom he
Is the main Issue to the exclusion of the
candidates for Jther offices. some of the
voters may be especially Interested in a
candidate for Council. They bend their
energies to his nomination without any con-
Germ as to whom they vote for for Senator,
for example. The result is that there Is
no expression Of opinion of all the voters
at ono time upon any one single issue.