The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-16
THE PRIMARIES TODAY.

be held today in California, Nebraska,
and other States. At these the party
nominees are supposed to be selected.
In case, however, no candidate re
ceives the majority of the party vote
1t will be difficult TO reconcile the party
at large to accepting any as It's candi-
date. In California, for instance, there
are four candidates for Governor, 1t
does not seem in the least likely that
any one of these will receive the ma
iority. At best, a plurality may be ex-
pected, and this plurality nominee VIII
be in fact minority choice; minor
ity. that is, as compared with tho to-
tai party vote. That condition has
been faced before. particularly III Hi"
nois and Wisconsin, when vote was
taken on the Senatorial choice as to the
e-election of Stephenson and of Hop
kins. The fact seems to be that more
than one primary ought to be held,
possibly IN some cases more than two,
but at anv rate there should be two. In
order TO give a party choice, the sec
ond eliminating all candidates except
two.
In Nebraska the choice will be large"
ly on the county option liquor PROPOSE
tion advocated so strenuously by MI
Bryan and his friends. The idea or
making the local constituency that Wall
decide whether liquor is to be sold or
not embrace whole county is Just as
faulty in its degree as to have the
question decided for all by State
In Nebraska there are large numbers
of rural counties whore there is no de-
mand for liquor, and nobody would
think OF putting in saloon These
counties would vote with substantial
unanimity against saloons, because they
do not want saloons within their coun-
ties. having no cosmopolitan cities and
no mixed population that especially de-
sires houor. In the city of Omaha, now
ever, il would be a manifest injustice
TO take the poll of all of Douglas eounr
ty, because the county outside or the
city has no saloons. has no demand TOT
saloons, and would probably vote
against saloons simply because they do
not want saloons In their rural farm
and vegetable regions, 1t would be the
same as having Salt Lake county de-
eide the question of saloons for Salt
Lake CITY. In the rural settlements OF
Salt Lake county, as In the rural set
Elements throughout the United States,
there is little or no demand for saloons,
and the people naturally vote against
them. But the vote against saloons In
Big Cottonwood or Mill Creek would be
no criterion whatever as to the sentl'
ment of Bingham, Murray or Salt Lake
City. And yet with anything like
close vote on the saloon question IN
Salt Lake, Bingham or Murray, these
outside communities would settle the
question for these cities and the cities
would consider it uniustly settled.
In Nebraska they have local option,
which allows every community to settle
the liquor question for itself. That
is the most appropriate settlement, In
our Judgment, of the liquor question.
Certainly the idea of allowing e2-
traneous communities to come in and
establish police regulations for a city
in which they are in no way interested,
either by property rights or citizen g
franchise, rs an infringement upon COM
munity control. 1t was on this propo-
sition for county option that Mr.. Bryan
was beaten in the State Democratic
convention of Nebraska. It was the in
Justice of it that caused The Tribune
to protest during Utah's legislative
session of 1909 against county option
in this State. There are some coun-
ties in this State where prohibition pre-
walls, and where it would prevail with
out regard to any legislation. There
are others in which liquor is sold, and
would continue to be sold no matter
what law might be passed. This has
been exemplified bitterly in Utah coun'
ty this year, and is being so exem-
plifed at the present time.
In Washington county different con-
dition exists, where there is probably
no particular demand for saloons, but
WHeTe JHeEe IS Soou ucdl VI wine
made and sold nevertheless, and where
it would probably continue to be made
and sold, no matter what State lcgisla-
tion was enacted
This emphasizes the proposition that
each community should be allowed to
settle that matter for itself. 1t is nc
wonder that Mr.. Bryan was defeated
when he undertook to deprive commu-
mites of this their natural right, and
anybody ought to be beaten who under
takes the same thing, in Nebraska OF
elsewhere