The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-06-04

II may turn ouN 70 DC True Inc OhAeeN
States Steel corporation is one OF the
most powerful concerns in the world,
but it is as much of trust as any of
the other big corporations. BY at
tempting to gobble up too much IT
might bring the machinery of the
sherman antitrust law into motion
with disastrous results.
THE DIRECT PRIMARY.
There are signs of returning COM
mon sense in the matter Of the direct
primary. A few years ago a craze for
Overturning the old order OF things
was started. and before IL had run
It's course several states fell under the
spell Now the country is lacking in
the other direction.
Where it has been tried to the full
est extent the direct primary plan has
proved a colossal failure. Any
amount OF evidence could be produced
to back up this statement from men
who are conversant with its workings.
NJ. II. DeYoung. owner of the San
Francisco Chronicle, and a man of
keen perception as well as wide in
formation. has this to say of the di-
rect primary as tried out in the coast
town:
The direct primary is the biggest
farce In politics / all along be-
heved this TO be so, but was
convinced Of II I'm the last city
election. A capable and honest
man does not want to enter the
field for political office when II
VIII cost him many times more
to be elected shan the thing is
worth. IL isn't worth the effort
or the honor. The people clam
ored for a direct primary law
Now they have II. but they will
find out that IL is Impractical.
and that, Instead Of helping
them. as they thought II would,
IL viii do them more harm than
good
Under the direct primary. a man
running for office has to make
two campaigns. He has all the
worry and expense OF getting the
nomination. and then has to go
up against a political opponent
in the election. No man fit to
hold an office will enter such a
contest
oregon has a direct primary law,
buttre5sed with statements for can
didates for the legislature to sign. The
result was the election OF a Democrat
&c senator by a Republican legisla-
ture. the minority controlling the ma
jority.
Owing to the California primary
law Senator Flint, a man of ability,
but in moderate circumstances, has
announced that he viii not be a can
didate for reelection, because he can
not bear the expense individually, and
will not accept contributions and
place himself under obligations.
The primary plan is responsible
also for the appearance OF that blath-
ersl<ite, JEFF Davis, in the United
States Senate.
But the turning point has beer
reached and a more sensible view i,
being taken by those who have beer
inclined TO shout for every new propo-
sition that comes up.
In addition, the newspapers are not
keeping silent upon the subject, and
are exposing the fallacies Of the doc.
trine of Messrs. Bryan and LaFollette
The washington Post is outspoken IL
its denunciation Of the primary. say.
ing, among other things:
Putting aside the constitutional prin-
ciple involved. and that is i'm
mense, we get down to the con
/ crete fact that the primary 1;
| the rich mans opportunity and
| the poor mans despair. Ours {.
/ The establishment at Washing.
ton is union of numerous re-
| publics and Is partly national
and partly federal. The father.
adjusted the balance between tht
two ideals of federation and ma
/ tionalism with rare exactitude
and the plan Is indicated by the
marvellous success Of more thar
| a century.
But another evangel is preached
There IS nothing new In 10. Il
was old when the demagogue RI
! emf preached IL in decaden,
Rome old when the agitatoi
Cloon employed IL at Athens. Il
is simple. very simple and con
sists Of this: Platter the people
and thus reap applause ant
place. THAT is ali IL Is. a bia
tant demagOgy.
But one really great man in tn
country advocates the direct primary
and that man Is Governor Hughes o
New York, lately appointed justice o
the United States Supreme court. Ye
with all his influence and hold upoi
! the affections of the people Of tn
Empire state, Governor Hughes Ia
been unable to get a direct primar
bill through the legislature.
The direct primary craze has ha
its day. No new states viii be draw
into the whirlpool, and those airead
in will get out IL they can
DOLOROSO. a
Unload not on US your long tale {
weird woo.