Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-06-22
MAY REPEAL PRIMARY
General Dissatisfaction With Pri.
mary Law i'm All Sections of
State.
Candidates Object to Unfair Ex.
penses Necessary Under Pri-
mary and to Other Features
of the Lew.


with the primary law and the gen.
eral failure of the voters this year
to take advantage of the opportun-
ity to assist in making nominations
is responsible for an agitation which
has for it's object the repeating of
the state primary laws when the
legislature meets next January,
says the Des Moines Capital
At the close of the primary two
years ago a note of dissatisfaction
was heard in several sections of the
state, which was renewed after the
special primary the following Mo-
vember. 1t was not until after the
June primary of the present year.
however, that the criticism of the
primary became general. II has
been so persistent from the press of
all sections of the state that several
members of the legislature are con-
sidering, it is said, the advisability
of introducing in the next legisla-
ture bill to repeal the law in its
entirety.
A noticeable criticism which is
being leveled at the primary law re-
lates to offices in which the public
is not generally interested and for
which there are several candidates.
I'M. In hn
nomination for state superintendent
of public instruction, there were
seven candidates. In practically no
precinct in the state were the names
or qualifications of all seven cam
didates known TO the voters. The re-
suit was that they either voted for
the man whose name appeared at
the head of the list or they failed to-
vote on candidate for that Office.
The votes received by the seven can
didates cannot be said to be an ex-
preston of the will of the voters for
they knew nothing of the men to be
voted for and voted blindly. The
same is true of other offices.
AS the object of the law is to give
the voters the privilege of naming.
candidates about whose qualifica-
tions they know nothing, the gen.
eral feeling is that in this respect,
at least, the law is proving fall
ure. -
Another criticism which is being
leveled at the law is that it requires
candidates TO make two campaigns
First, the candidate must make a
statewide fight for the nomination,
involving no small expense. then, if
nominated. another expensive cam
Only men whose incomes are large,
feel inclined to make the race for
the nomination. for they know they
must either make two fights to win
the place or if they lose the nomin-
aticn, they have literally thrown
away a small fortune with nothing.
to show for it.
Still another criticism which is
being made is that many men who
would be glad to fight for the cleo
tion to a state office object to max
ing a canvass of the state, asking
the voters to let them be the party
standard bearer. Again, many of
them hesitate to circulate petitions
asking the voters for their consent
to make the race for the nominal
tion.
AL these things are combining to
make the primary unpopular and
these, coupled with the fact that
thousands of voters have said that
they don't care who gets the nomin-
alton show that the primary law is
not having the benificent effects de-
sled.
The date of the primary is also
urged against it. In early June the
farmers are exceedingly busy in the
fields and they will not go four or
five miles to help nominate a set of
men for Office when their fields
need their attention. The cities
and the politicians make the nomin-
ations.
The primary law has practically
put the democratic party in Iowa
ION the blink" so that the demo-
Gratis in the legislature will doubt
less vote to a man in favor of the
repeal of the measure.
--:---