The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1910-12-30
THE REGISTER AND THE PR.
MARY.

The Nez Perez County Register
takes The Tribune to task because We
can see little virtue in the direct pri-
mary law, and winds up by saying
that we are a self-styled politician. I
The Tribune editor is a politician he
is about the worst and most unsuc
cessfuS one in the state. Our enc,
mics claim that the support of The
Tribune is tantamount to defeat. Al
ter sizing up the results of the las
primary election we are forced to be
'ieve that those enemies have US size
up about right We were never a sue
cess in manipulating the cards anc
spades OF politics, either at the pri
mary or in convention. Consequent,
any disappointment we may feel can
not be attributed to our dislike Of til,
direct primary
The editorial in The Tribune tc
which the Register takes exception
was in protest of the emasculation
the direct primary law We took til
position in a general way that eithe
the law was good or it was bad.
1t were good it should be left practic
ally intact. If bad it should be repea
ed. The Southwestern Idaho Pres
Association at its meeting in Cald
well, recommended certain amend
ments to the law. We attempted t,
show that those amendments woulf
defeat the very purpose of the law
and, further, that if that were the pur
pose of the amendments, that tn,
proper thing to do were to repeal thu
law and be done with it.
The Register asks us: is Mr.. Haw
ley, Mr.. McDougall, Miss Shepherd
Mr.. Bell, wealthy corruptionist2'
We fear the Register read our articl,
to little purpose or else we wrote tc
less purpose. In speaking of wealth,
corruptionists" we were talking of tn
proposed amendment. The amend
ment proposed was to take off en-
tire y or to substantially raise til
amount of money candidate migf
spend in promoting his candidacy
We stated that the. limit fixed by la
was the only safeguard and assuranc,
OF an even chance that the poor ma
had. II that provision wee elimina-
ed it would in effect encourage til
extravagant use of money and eventr
ally turn the state over to wealth
corruptionists We never even int
mated that Messrs Hawley, McDou
gall, Bell and Taylor or Miss Shep
herd were wealthy corruptionists
In fact, in the very article in questio.
We stated the expense limit was tn
best provision in the law
The Register says that to make !.
man declare his politics before he car
vote at the primary is un-Americar
and contrary to the true principles
a secret ballot. We do not see hov
the fact that man declares himself
Republican can interfere with the Sc
crecy of his ballot. If he is SO touch.
as that he need not vote at all. Tn
principle of the direct primary is to
enable the Republican voters of Idahf
to place a ticket of their selection ii
the held, and on the other hand +
permit the Democrats to do the sam.
thing. By what theory of justice car
the Register enable the Democrats T.
go to the primary and help nominal,
Republican ticket and then 60 to tn
polls and vote their Democratic tick
ct! This was done in hundreds OF in
stances in this very state. In nan,
counties the Democrats had only on,
candidate for the nomination for eacl
office. They would let their ticket g,
and vote for weak men on the Repuh
l1can ticket for the nominations. A
the election, they of course, vote,
their party ticket. If that is Ameri
can and the principle of the secret bal
lots the less we have of both tho bet
ter it will be.
| That there may be no clubbing
however. we will state for the benef
1T the Register that we are oppose,
to the direct primary in practice an,
in theory. In practice it has been
rank, dismal failure. 1t has been alb
soiutely barren of good results. /
has been burden to candidates an,
an expense to the taxpayers. 1t is
fraud and farce. The people of tn
state are tired and disguised with tn
law in part and in whole. 1t didn'
smash any politicians that we know
of. 1t hasn't busted any machine
that we are aware OF. 1t hasn'
broken up any rings that we hav
been informed of. 1t hasn't done
thing except cost the people OF Idah'
two hundred thousand dollars. w
| wOu1d 1iko 70 have tho paoister toLo