Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-08-30

Des Moines, Aug. 26.-When con
gress convenes In December United
States Senator Cummins of Iowa ex-
poets to propose the enactment Of
| federal primary law providing for the
nomination Of candidates for president
and vice president at nation wide
primary elections.
If it shall develop that enactment OF
this legislation cannot be achieved
within reasonable time, senator
Cummins expects to offer q proposal
for the regulation by law of the ma
tional conventions of political parties
and to make the bases of the represen-
tation therein the party vote, instead
of population.
"The nomination Of party candidates
for president and vice president at
primary elections, just as nominations
now are made for state and county Of
fees. at primaries, is natural step in
the movement which progressive re-
publicans lead" said Senator Cum
Minis yesterday.
"That nominations for president and
vice president may be determined, at
an time if not at all times, and, in
deed, actually have been determined IN
national conventions by the vote OF
delegates from states which cast prac-
tically no votes for the party. ticket
ticket. is absurd and indefensible for,
manifestly, it is unfair to the voters
who do elect the candidates of the
party.
It cannot be fair that the 100000 or
$4,000 republicans in Georgia, a. state
whose vote never is cast for the repub-
lican electoral ticket, shall have in the
national republican convention exactly
equal voice with the 100000 repub-
licans Of Iowa, state whose vote al
ways is cast for the republican cleo
tors.
Points Out Present Difficulties.
1.-THE almost insuperable difficulty in
| the adjustment of the matter In order
to put it on fair and equitable basis,
will be apparent, however, to any one one
who turns his attention to the subject
| for a moment. Under the present rule
! the national committee makes up the
roll of the delegates to the national
convention. There would appear to be
no other method Of providing for the
initial organization of the gathering.
To this committee are presented the
contests Now the committee has not
the power to change the rule for the
basis of representation in the conven-
ton. for that can be done only by the
convention itself But in this conven-
ton always sit the. delegates whose
seats would be affected by any change
in the rule and who are prepared,
therefore, always to vote against a
resolution to make the change.
ut is apparent. therefore, that we
will continue to have great difficulty in
securing the desired change through
the national convention itself.
Sees More Power for Voter.
'The proposal for enactment of a
federal primary law which will give
the voters of the parties the right di-
rectly to nominate their candidates for
president and vice president. just as
for governor and other offices, is but
the natural development in the pro-
gressive tendency of the times toward
giving the Individual voter the fullest
measure of political power.
eff it appears not to be possible
promptly to enlist the support Of all
of the representatives of the people in
congress for this response to the de-
mand Of the people for the right to
exercise in full their political powers,
we should. I think, enact law regu-
lative Of national conventions which at
least will accomplish the purpose Of
permitting representatives of the ac-
tual voters within the party fair
voice in determining who shall be the
party nominees for president and vice
president.
~ know Of nothing which possibly
could contribute as much to the po-
litical we'll being, the independence.
and the satisfaction Of every voter as
to know that he has the right directly
to participate in choosing the candi-
dates Of his party. 1t is true in Iowa
under a state primary law. 1t Will De
true in the nation under federal
primary law.
j,