Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-11-29
NEBRASKA PRESS COMMENT.

terests oppose Il for a like reason. The
initiative and referendum are first-class
nuisances irrespective Of whose toes are
trampled thereby.
Stanton News (demD: The lesson Of the
1910 election is that the liquor corporations
must keep out OF Nebraska politics. A
democratic year. when Shallenberger could
have been elected by 10000 the buttng in
Of the booze element caused the democrats
to lose the governor, but Wen profit by
their work, for democracy will not fail
into such trap again. The real patri-
OTIS OF the last election were the democrats
who refused to vote for Dahlmsn.
Kearney HUI: William Colfax Of Bassett,
Neb., declares that Nebraska needs set
tiers more than IT needs money" and the
basis for his conclusion is that he has
more than 1000 acres Of hay land under his
control that was not cut this year because
he could not hire the labor to do 1t. Some
body, somewhere, needed that hay, and Ne
braska needed the return from the waste
production. The case OF Mr.. Colfax is one
among many. He is right in declaring that
Nebraska needs settlers more than money,
fer Of the latter there is plenty to handle
all the crops and promote ordinary de-
velopment,
Shelton Clipper: one OF the things that
the coming Nebraska legislature might do
/ with advantage - the state is to take the
| pardoning power out of the hands of the
/ governor and vest 1t in a board Of pardons
| consisting Of several state officers with
! the power to pardon criminals in the hands
of one man It makes It more likely for a
| mistake to be made than though several
| men had the authority. 1t takes the united
verdict of twelve men to send a man
charged with a felony to the penltentlary
and it ought to take more than ,one man
to turn him loose on an already long suf-
fering public.
| Albion News: Governor-elect Aldrich was
to a great extent elected on non-partisan
basis, He had the opposition of a large
element of his own party, and the sup
port of a large number OF democrats and
populists. He will be justified in inaugu-
rating non-partisan regime in his APP
pontments. The management of the state
business, especially the great penal and
philanthropic institutions, should be con-
Quoted with an eye solely to efficiency
and economy, and not be made to serve as
soft snaps for political beneficlaries We
believe Governor Aldrich will serve his
party best by serving the public best
Wisner Chronicles That the present open
primary law will be repealed by the next
! legislature seems to be conceded II has
few friends. Some favor a return to the
| closed primary as it was passed four years
| ago, others would condemn all primaries
and revert to the old convention system.
| The Chronicle favors a closed primary for
the nomination Of county candidates, and
delegates to state and congressional con-
Ventions. Let the men who wish to be
chosen as delegates to these conventions
! announce themselves and file applications
to be placed on the ballots, and the required
number receiving the highest number OF
votes at the primary be declared delegates
These delegates will nominate better class
of men for state candidates than are
selected by the present hodge-p odge state
wide primary system, in which the voters
are called upon to make their choice from
an array Of names as unfamiliar to them
as the dynasties of Egypt
Central City Nonpareil: The initiative
and referendum should be restricted in ap-
phcation only to those important measures
that are statewide in their influence and
this can be accomplished by fixing the
percentage of signers to the petitions at a
point where 1t would be impracticable tc
attempt invoking the plan for an unim.
portant bill. Frequent submissions Of the
same question should be prohibited, thus
preventing constant turmoil and dissension
These two defects in the system are the
principle points Of criticism in the Oregon
and South Dakota laws and Nebraska car
profit by their experience The Bee ad.
mits that the plan has worked with sue.
cess in Switzerland, but claims that that is
due to the smallness OF the country. the
operation Of the system being but an extern
sion OF the town meeting. As Switzerland
has about three times the population OF
Nebraska we are wondering what would
prevent an even greater success Of the
system here Legislatures are supposed Il
be elected for the purpose Of giving tn,
people the kind of laws they want. Too
often, however, they have used their power
to prevent the people from getting wha
they want. In the initiative and referen
dunn the people will have an instrument By
which they can express their ideas and al
authority TO make them effective.
Columbus Telegram Cdem.): Out of tn
abundance Of the cursing requiems whicl
were sung against the open primary Law
during the late state campaign. 1t is fai
to gather the belief that the law will b
taken off the books by the present Iegis
lature. Such being the case what shall b
= substituted for the present cursed thing
Shah we go back to the old convention
system? Shall we utterly forsake the prin
t ciple Of the primary? II The Telegram
| should be asked to suggest a substitute 70
the present primary law we would ru
= quickly back to the convention system, a
. far as the making OF state and congress
ional nominations is concerned but woul
( provide that the principle OF primary b
E retained in choosing county candidates. In
( stead of the present open primary, close
. so tight that a republican could not brea
/ into the democratic side of It with q crow
e bar, nor democrat into the republica
. side. In choosing party delegates to reL
resent county in a state convention W
would have the delegates selected by tn
,, primary system, cutting the number of de-
egates from each county down to a sma
| figure, and then have the county or stat
/ pay the expenses of such delegates w
! would have this rule apply also to cor
gressional delegates. This would 20 far
Z avoid the old practice Of the railroad pol
r ticians in herding delegates and payIn
their railroad fare and expenses. We d
, not like the present primary law for a
% instant but we do desire that the prlncipl
OF the primary plan be retained in som
manner In Nebraska. We consider IN
! present open primary law as good as dea