Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-03-24
THE CONVENTION AND THE
COMMITTEE.

who is a candidate for the republl'
can nomination for member of con
gress, objects strenuously to the
method by which a select committee
of "Insurgents" declares for two
other candidates, in effect guaran'
tees their support at the primaries
by a combination of candidates for
all congressional and state Offices,
land seeks to prevent a full and fair
choice by the voters of the state OF
their own candidates, without the in
tervention or solicitation Of IN Of
tfensive and defensive combination,
working in. all the counties Of the
state. In stating publicly his oh
jections to:the COMMITTEE system"
Of nominations, Mr.. skulason says:
The primary elections Is intended
to be the peoples convention. On
account of territorial extent and
great numbers, the electors cannot
all meet in one place in the state and
make their nominations, ami, there
fore, the ballot and the voting booth
all over the state is used as sub
,stitute for a convention hall, so that
the voter, in casting his ballot at
the primary election, is in theory
casting his vote in a statewide con-
vention of the people.
Under the theory OF the primary
election law, every candidate for
public Office within the law, has the
right to come before the state-wi lie
convention Of the people to let them
approve or reject his candidacy.
To put a concrete case. Suppose
there are ten men who wish to be-
come candidates for governor of the
state. The intention is that the
names of each of these ten men shall
go upon the primary election ballot
and that the one that gets the most
votes in this convention of the peo-
pie shall be the nominee of his
party to be voted for at the fall cleo
ton. AMI so with every other pub
lie Office.
Now, it needs no lawyer to reason
out that the will of the people, as
| expressed in the primary law, is
| wholly defeated II few men, such
as this elimination committee, can
prevent the people from making
this selection. Take the case before
us. There are eight or nine candi-
dates for congress. cOriing to
the primary law, the names of all
these candidates should go on the
primary ballot and each political
party should select two of them in
June to run in the fall election. If
that we're done, the will of the vot-
ers would be carried out.
Now, suppose the action of the
elimination committee is regarded as
!, valid. All but two of these eight
or nine candidates are prevented
from going before this popular con-
vention of the party, and the re-
publican electors of the state are
confined to the choice of only two
men, which is, of course no choice
at all since two men are to be nOmi-
mated. In this way the primary
election becomes a meaningless for
mality. The voters have really moth
ing to say about who shall be the
SdHuludles LUZ CoA6AeSS alb dAe CoAu-
PEELED to swallow a slate.
The leaders of the movement to
select a ticket by committee will re-
ply Of course that there is nothing
to prevent any candidates going up
on the primary ballot If he gets the
requisite number of signers. But we
indicated a few days ago how hope
less chance was held by the can
didate struggling single handed
against the candidate supported by
a combination Of interests and bene-
fitting from the united efforts and
contributions of such a combination.
Herein lies the chief unfairness of