Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-03-20
THE PRIMARY LAW.

We think the feeling that has been
created among the voters of the
state with regard to the work OF
committees in connection with the
selection of factional canii dates for
nomination for Office will have it's
effect in the future consideration of
the present primary law, and it may
lead to a reversion to the convention
system for the nomination of can
didates for state Office with some
modification. This year, we have the
selection of ticket by the insur-
gents, done through committee of
a very limited number of persons.
We have also a democratic commit
tee empowered to go about seeking
candidates for nomination on
the democratic ballot. And we
presume that the candidates who
may be supported by the stall
warts will have the approval of
stalwart leaders, as the insurgent
candidates have the approval of fac
tional lea 1ers. 80 ;" +"
The advocates of the state wide
primary law hardly took into &C
count the possibility and even
probability of such combinations
among candidates for Office as have
been made this year. The frien1s Of
influential candidates for Office get
together, select other candidates for
other Offices, and enter into a hard
and fast agreement for mutual sup
port When a considerable number
of factionalists get together in this
way, it does not shut out other can
didates from being on the ballot,
but it comes near shutting them out
from any chance for a nomination,
because in tie nature of a primary
campaign, the candidate who is aloof
from all factions, cannot expect to
cover the whole state with literature.
speakers, and the other elements
that bring him and his candidacy
before the public. He may get local
support, depending as he is or is not
we'll known and popular, but the
state is pretty big proposition for
him to cover in campaigning. The
nominees who have an agreement for
offense and defense, profit by the
combination of interests, localities.
contributions and political labors of
the individual candidates who are in
the combination, and the candidate
who is SO unfortunate as to be push
ed aside by the committee is at sea
in an open boat, so far as a chance
of nomination is concerned.
This tendency to combine for Of
Tense and defense is as old as the
political system and certainly as old
as the convention system in politics.
1t was the chief evil in the conven-
ton system, and the one that led to
the repeal of the law and the enact
me'nt of the primary law. But the
convention was composed of six or
seven hundred delegates. The com.
mittee that selects a facticnal ticket
is composed of only twenty. The
evil, instead of being minimized, is
made more offensive. And while the
law that permits this condition may
be tolerated for a few years, in the
eni there will be enough cases of
dissatisfaction to arouse a senti-
ment for change. 1t may not
come in a year or two years but it
will come as certainly as the field
for nominations for Office is limited
to the choice of committees of one or
two factions of a political party.
The trouble with the primary law
is the same trouble with any system
that is theoretically desirable but
does not take into account the ele-
me,nt Of human nature in politics or
in any other business or engagement.