River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-01-20
WORKINGS OF
PRIMARY SYSTEM
Bureau of Labor and Industrial
Statistics Reports.
FINDS MUCH THAT IS GOOD
Exhaustive Investigation Conducted
and Interesting Facts Brought Out
Brings Voters and Represen-
tatives Closer Together.

Madison.-W Workings of the direct
primary nomination system and It's
effect are set forth in the report
lust made public Of the Wisconsin bu-
reau of labor and industrial statistics.
An exhaustive investigation was con-
Quoted and some interesting facts nave
been brought out.
What has been the effect of the di-
rect primary upon voters, parties,
party machines, candidates, newspa-
pers and public service corporations ?"
was the main proposition set out to be
determined by the investigation.
AS far as possible the questions have
been answered by analysis of the pri-
mary election returns of September,
1908
The following facts are believed to
be fairly well established in the report
by those who prepared it:
THE direct primary brings the
voters and representatives closer to-
gether.
THE excessive use of money In
campaigns, while not caused by the
49,
cured by it, and it is on all hands
agreed that some check is absolutely
essential.
There has been confusion of party
lines and it has not thus far been pos
sible to prevent men from participant
ing in the primaries of parties which
they do not entirely support at the gen
eral election This may in small part
be due to the discreditable purpose of
undermining a party by helping to
nominate a weak candidate, but 1t is
apparently more often due to the indie
pendence of electors.
THE direct primary has not de-
stroyed party bosses and machines,
but it has caused establishments that
seem to have left the bosses with less
autocratic power.
There has been no perceptible
change in the character of nominees,
but they are now more responsible and
are chosen less arbitrarily.
THE contests of candidates for
sheriffs brought out more votes than
that for United States senator; and
those for register of deeds more than
that for governor, showing that con-
spicuous offices do not necessarily en-
list the greatest interest on the part of
the voters. More important factors in
stimulating interest are close contests
and the rivalries and chains of friend
ships which grow out of personal ac-
mountaineering.
More than half of the voters at the
general election voted for sheriff in the
preceding primaries, while 40 per cent.
of the vote was cast at the primaries
for candidates for attorney general, an
office for which there were no impor-
tant contests.
The Republican vote at the primary
was nearly 80 per cent. of the Republi-
can vote at the general election, show
ing that the primary is a matter of
keen popular interest in the dominant
party and of relatively little interest
to the others.
independent candidates at the gen.
eral election have little prospect of de-
feating the party nominees.
The cities are not extensively rep
resented either in votes or in influence
under primary system"
The report gives a complete tabula-
ton by precincts of the votes for Uni
ted States senator and for sheriffs. The
vote for senator was tabulated be-
cause it attracted the greatest state
wide interest The vote for sheriffs, in
which the county rather than the
state was unit, is also presented, be-
cause, largely by reason of the many
contests and the many candidates, it
attracted an intensity of local interest
which in the aggregate exceeded that
in the more spectacular contest for
United States senator