The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1910-01-08

so doing the Gazette has only followed
In the footsteps of great many
others The purpose of the primary
is TO decide who shall be- the candidate
OF party at subsequent election
The successful contestant in primary
has the right TO be tagged with the
trade mark OF the party under whose
auspices he seeks election. Nothing
more. He has no further claim upon
the individual members OF that party
when they enter the voting booth than
the cohesiveness which his personality
brings.to his party. The principle of
the right OF the governed TO choose
their governor carried with il the kim
dred right Of the individual to repu-
diate the choice of the majority, and
Especially OF the major fraction less
than a majority, of his party when he
casts his vote.
This principle has been indicated
time and again In canvasses where the
election. has been directly by the people
themselves.and not by proxy as is the
case in the election Of u. s. Senators.
Independent candidates have many
times won out over the head OF the
primary choice at the election.
A primary implies an election.
Election means selection; not by di-
rection but by the right OF individual
choice. An elector may select the pri-
mary winner OF he may select some OF
the defeated sspirants who have OBJ
tanned a place on the ballot by legal
means or he may vote for new candi-
date.
Likewise. an aspirant Office may
abide.b by the choice OF the primary or
he may, legally, appeal to the sovereign
in the court of last resort-the cleo
ton. This right Of appeal has never
been denied and. we believe, never
will be denied in America.
We believe that the Gazette will al.
low this to be sound reasoning we be-
lieye That il is what the Gazette be-
lieves
Now, IL this deduction Is true In the
simpler process OF Immediate selection
by the people why should It be abrilg-
cd in the more complicated process
that exists at present for the choosing
OF senator.
In this affair the court Of last resort |
Is the legislature, representing the
people In their sovereign rights The
Gazette further says:
Granted, then, that the primary
princi pie can in theory be sal I Co tair-
ly apply TO United States senatorships
can United States senatorial pri-
mary be proven, in principle, to fairly
produce the net result which the pri-
mary principle seeks namely the nam
ing or governors by the governedg This
is the problem which Michigan IA TO
demonstrate. The Gazette can see but
one possibility Of trouble Since
the application Of the primary is pure.
~ advisory. there might be differences
OF opinion as TO how che advice ought
10 be interpreted.
Yes the Interpretation of this pri-
mary IL the only difference. To our
way OF thinking this question of inter
probation reverts back to the question
OF who is the sovereign. OF whom Is
the legislator the. servant! Is he bound
to the entire state In the reflection OF
opinion or il he bound TO the unit
which he represents. the unit that,
combined with the other units. make
up the integral whols-the state. IL
he is the servant OF the whole then
there is no question as to his duty 10
is TO vote as that state. ia primary,
has decreed
We doubt that the legislator Is the
servant Of the whole In the sense we are
dealing with him here. II so he
would be chosen bv the entire state.
not by fraction OF that state.
The founders OF our government rec
ognize the sound doctrine that the in
terests OF each section should be con.
sidered in the makeup Of the whole.
For that reason they parceled out the
state into districts for the immediate
purpose Of allowing each section 10
have its effect upon Legislation. Sens-
tor Chas Smith is tho mouth piece of
Houghton county He is expected to
reflect In the senate the opinions Of the
people Of Houghton county 10 leaven
the bread of public policy with the
Yeast Of his particular section that the
resultant batch may be palatable TO his
people. He L. expected to do so the Ga
zette expects him TO DO No the people !
Of the state expect hin, to do 30 and no