The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-02-11
DIRECT
 PRIMARIES Report of Special Commis= sion to General
 Assembly.

luSDGCIlOn
 acts actually passed. A perfect pri- mary law challenges to mortal combat powerful influences whose theory o1 government is still tenaciously adher- ed to and existing acts are, therefore always compromises. It seems to us however, that, if our actual aim is a government which, in fact, as well as Tn name, shall be of the people, for the
 people. and by the people, a direct primary law is indispensable Tn again recommending one for adoption, we are disposed first to consider briefly four of the objections to the principle which have come to our attention These are:
 First That it would give the news papers an undesirable influence over nominations.
 Second That it would impair a right of the country towns.
 Third. That it would end party or ganization and efficiency
 Fourth That it entails an expense which would deprive poor men of the opportunity to run for office.
 We are at a loss to understand why the influence of the press upon nomi- nations by direct primaries should be feared. Nothing else in the world escapes that influence, and nomina- tions as made at present certainly dc not That the press should be free to praise or blame or be silent has been thought so desirable a thing in all en- frightened countries that the laws en- suing that freedom are the most jeal- ously guarded of all upon the statute books. newspaper has no more in- fhence than its hahitual readers learn that 1t IS worthy of, and these read CTS are the citizens whose right tc nominate the candidates of their indi- vIdual choice is sought to be secured
 Newspapers never blindly follow one another in mistakes, nor often in any direction, and it is not public and open talk, but private suggestion that is really dangerous. If the arguments which influence convention nomina- tions could be made as public as the attitude of the press is, the objection to them would largely disappear. If a. candidate dislikes the statements or the silence of a newspaper, the remedy Is far nearer to his hand than when what is said or not said to delegate determines his fate. When the people can effectually express their Individual preferences after public as distinguish ed from private discussion, the political
 millennium is near at hand, even if some of that discussion, so long as it is public, is mistaken
 The second objection is oftenest heard from persons who are not resi- dents of small towns and whose req son for making it can be easily ex- plained upon other grounds than in- terest in town welfare. Therefore, we are not sure whether the towns them selves will think the objection has their real interest at heart or not. Most of those who talk in favor of direct primaries are citizens of country towns and intelligent defenders of town pre- negatives, and these men scoff at the O 1,n thing to fear from direct primaries, and claim that it has everything to gain; that in no way can it so we'll de- fend itself against all efforts to exploit 1t. The Connecticut town is naturally Jealous of it's unusual prerogatives, and we know that nothing causes greater alarm than a. claim of danger prompted by a disinterested and gen. uine interest or not, and so we address ourselves very briefly to it's consider ation.
 The claim, of course, means that the nominations which are to be accom- plished by a direct vote will no longer be the product of conventions, where each town of the district involved has hitherto had a voice with every other town. These voices, however, are not equally potent, because nearly half of the towns in the State have in the principal conventions but half aamany delegates as the other towns, although the first named towns are often the largest, and representation by popula- tion is to 8 certain degree allowed also, while, in addition to all of this, Sena- torial districts are freuuently repre- sented, so that the towns cannot at be said to have really equal influence upon nominations. Some times quite the contrary is true. But the alarm cry by which effective oppo- sition to direct primaries is sought to be created is that through them 1t would be possible for the thickly pop language more familiar, the cities can the country towns. This is of course theoretically true, but let us consider first whether. it is something which ought not to be even possible. and second, whether if possible, it probably would ever happen.
 In the first place the right which is claimed to be imperiled is merely a political practice differing materially in the different parties and under it the different towns as already stated do not as between themselves. have equal or anywhere near equal influence in the principal conventions. The real town right which has a legal guarantee is a right to representation in the low CT mousse or the General ASSemDly anu as sincere friends of town representa- ton there we shall be surprised and sorry if the law determining power which that right gives to them is de- liberately used to keep from all fellow citizens throughout the State the right themselves to decide for whom they shall vote, provided in the light of
 modern ideals they now want that right and if this is doubted it can be very easily made certain. Are we not justified for instance, in respectfully that State Senators, who and purposely, and actually represent people as distin- yuished from towns, would most fairly be nominated by the individual people whom alone they represent?
 But in the second place, whether what we have just said be true and of or not, would the thing objected to ever really happen? The centers of population have never in the of the State lined up against the smaller towns in the matter of and there is no possible reason why they should hereafter. They have no community of interest n such matters and no reason what
 More Than 20 a~csoralan<c eivo fo .AoodsS Eaps