Middletown transcript., 1910-07-16
ROOSEVELT IN THE OUTLOOK

world are to-day 80 widely noted as tho'
j OF Col. Roosevelt certainly in the Unite
States they are of especial interest at th
time when alI men of all parties are avail
| ing with the liyeliest expectation to lear
4 bis views upon several important que
tionsnow before the people. Indeed, on
might perhaps truthfully say that n
| word or syllable that ever fell from th
lips Of Dslphic pythoness or Guinea
sibyi swere more intently scanned tina
/ these of this modern international oracle
Col. Roosevelt. Whether people agre
wish him or not, they are especially cul
ions-not to say anxious great many
to hear what he has to say.
These editorial utterances of his wi
appear from time TO time solely in th
pages of The Outlook, and being copy
| righted may not be reprinted in full ex
cept by special arrangement with tha
magazine. Consequently, all persons de
string to get bis views at length upon an!
topic should subscribe for The Outlook
By their permission We print in full Col
RooseVelt's latest editorial upon one o
the greatest reforms ever attempted ir
our political system-that of direct pir
mary nominations by the people them
selves. This antidote to many of the
evils attending the present methods. such
as boesism. etc., has been in successful
opefasion 10 several states, and will
EiHaily be universally adopted.
Governor HugheF, the Legislature, and
Primary Reform
l believe that Governor Hughes has
been supported by the bulk of the wisest
and most disinteFested public opinion as
regards most of bis measures and positions,
sand think that this has been markedly
.tlle case as regards direct primary nomi.
nations. I know that many honest and
sincere men are on principle opposed to
Governor Hughes on this point, and
know also that the proposed reform will
very possibly accomplish less than its ex.
IRENE advocates expect; while l am we'll
aSare, as of course all thinking men must
be that the worth of any such measure
inthe last resort depends upon the char.
.acser Of the voters, and that no patent
device will ever secure good government
unless the people themselves devote suffi.
5cient energy, time, and judgment to make
ths device work. Finally, I freely admit
that here and there, where the principle
Of direct nominations has been applied in
too crude shape or wroDgheadedIy, it has,
while Rbolishing certain evils, produced
or aceentuated others-in certain cases,
for instance, putting premium upon the
lavish expenditure of money,
But while freely admit all this,
nevertheless feel, in the first place, that on
the fundamental issue of direct primary
nominations the Governor is right, and,
in she second place, that, as the measure
finally came up for action in the State
Legislature, it was well nigh free from all
objections save those of the men who OBJ
iect to it because they are fundamentally
opposed tossny change whatever in the
desired direction. The bill provided only
for direct popular action in the primaries
in relatively small geographical and polit-
ical communities, thereby making the
first where there was least
liability to serious objection, and avoiding
or deferring the task of dealing with those
big communities where the difficulties
and danger to be overcome would be
greatest. Moreover, while guaranteeing
full liberty of individual action, it
also provided for the easy maintenance
of party Organization, and there
by avoided some very real dangers
among them that of encouraging the use
Of masses Of the minority party in any
given district to dictate the actions of the
party. In other words, the pro.
posed bill, while il marked q real step in
advance, was tentatively and cautiously
framed, and provided all possible safe.
guards against abuses. If in practice it
had failed to work in any particular,
there would have been no possible diff
Guilty in making whatever amendments or
changes we're necessary.
The Republican party was in the ma.
iority in both houses of the Legislature
which refused to carry out the Republi-
can Governors recommendations; and
although it was only minority of the
members which brought
about this refusal, the party cannot escape
} measure Of responsibility for she failure;
but it is only just to remember that
clear majority Of the Republican mem
Ders of each house supported the bill,
whereas three-fourths or over of the
Democrats opposed it. This is one of the
cases where it il easier to apportion in
dIvidual than party responsibility.
Those who believe that by their action
hey have definitely checked the move.
nent for direct popular primaries are, in
my Judgment, mistaken. In its essence,
ibis is movement to make the Govern
nent more democratic, more respon.
live to the wishes and needs Of the
people as 3 whole. With our political
machinery it is essential to have an eff.
sisnt party. but the machinery ought to
be suited to democratic and not oligar-
.hic customs and habits. The question
whether in selI.goVerning republic we
hall have self-goyerDing parties 10 larger
han the particular bill. We hold that
he right of popular self government is
unless it includes the right of
he voters not merely to choose between |
candidates when they have been nomin-
tied, but also the right to determine who
ihese candidates shall be. Under our
Iystem Of party government, therefore,
he voters should be guaranteed the right |
o determine within the ranka OF tEeir |
respective organizations who the caudi-
lates Of the parties will be, no less than
he right 10 choose between thecandidates |
when the candidates are presented them.
There is no desire TO break down the
of marty organization under /