The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-07-07

voters. In voting at the primary the
average voter goes to the polls, calls
for his party ticket, goes into the booth
and looks up and down the columns
and sees there three different names
for one office, four for another, six for
another and so on. There will prob
ably be anywhere from twenty to forty
names on the ballot before he gets
down the list to the congressman, who
Is the only man on the list he has ever
seen. He knows nothing about them;
nothing Of their qualifications, their
fitness or unfitness He does not know
how they are regarded in their com
munity; whether they are good citi-
zens or not And one of the serious
phases OF that feature Is that he has
no way Of finding out about these diff
ferent candidates. Possibly two or
three Of them had money enough to
stump the state, and the voter may
have heard them, or may have friend
who has heard them. Some candidate
who might be eminently qualified for
the position might be barred from
stumping the state because he did not
| have the money, or would not devote
to nominating campaign that amount
Of time and money, or was mot a pub
| lie speaker. His qualifications would
count for naught against a man who
had spent the money and time to make
himself known. Then the man who is
already in office and is running again
has the advantage over the man whose
name Is not familiar to the people.
There were half a dozen or more
candidates for the office of railroad
commissioner and for the office of
school superintendent. Leaving out of
that list the names Of the present in
cumbents 1t is not likely that I per
cent Of the voters of the state had any
knowledge of the ability or character
istics of these candidates.
Under the caucus or representative |
system, delegates are chosen to con-
ventions and there mix freely and con-
tinuously for several days, and in the |
very nature OF things find out a great |
deal about the candidates from differ |
ent parts of the state The township |
and ward caucuses select delegates to |
the county convention. That county |
convention Is made up of men from |
every part of the county lin Wapello |
county from twenty different |
voting precincts or communities). The
county conventions select delegates Cor
representatives, to the state conven-
ton. The state convention then Is
composed of the delegates from the
counties of the state. In
other words, in the state convention,
composed this year of 1883 men, nine
ty-nine different communities in the
state have personal representatives to
speak and vote and act for these com
munities.
A candidate from some county in
the northern part of the state is I'M
known to delegates from the south
ern part Of the state. These delegates
upon their arrival at the city where the
state convention is to be held fmme-
1iately begin to inquire of delegates
from the county where the candidates L
i've, S to his character and his quail
hcations for the office he seeks. In
formation of the same kind by the del
egates from the northern part of the
state is Immediately sought about the
,andidaes from the southern or eastern
or western part. Men meet personal
scquaintances from different counties
4
sarding the standing of those seeking
'ffice, until finally when it comes time
o vote, the majority of the delegates
o the convention vote as intelligentIy
Is they do on their county candidates.
That is representative government
The fact is that il is just about as
ridiculous to nominate state candi-
lctes by direct vote as 1t would be TO
larry on the business of the state leg
stature by direct vote. One can be as
ntelligently done as the other.
The direct primary is also a failure
n the nomination of candidates for
county Offices. 1t is impossible to get {
Lnything like full vote at the primary
election. A small organization is all ;
hat Is necessary to win the nomina-
ion. In effect this places the unor-
;anized majority at the mercy of the
organized minority.
Some times the candidates who are
eeking some particular office may not
'e in the opinion of majority of the
members of a convention, the best men
or the office. Under the direct pri-
nary system one of those men is sure
o be nominated. A convention could
rop all the names previously men
Toned and take up and nominate the
'est man in the community
The feeling against the direct pri-
nary law in Iowa is stronger today
han it ever has been. Both demo-
rats and republicans who conscien-
iously advocated giving 1t trial, are
thoroughly Disguised with the prac-
ical results after two state wide cleo
ions have been held under IL.
The adoption of the statewide direct
Urinary law in the state of New York
you'd result in putting all the state .
Ulcers in New York city, and in some ,
t the rottenest political skullduggery
hat has ever disgraced the elections ,
{ any country. 1t would certainly be I.
caches and cream for some of the
isreputable organizations that are al ;
rays possible in. big centers of pop i
lation.
ADVERTISE RIGHT.