Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-08-26
MUST NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH
FROM DIRECT PRIMARY

Are We m, ezt:c,iLy h,n much fr1fn
the dirsr, primary. askH the Word
TDdny. PrDhlbItiDn dtHz not tIiinin'
ate the drink haiti, aniicigarc,te blliE
do 1Ol change the nature III the cigaI,
cttr flrnd the snDpren.jrh III moving
pictures does not nupprHH. ih,Hres. In
prize fighting. HoW. then. are ne 70
expect that "a direct primary la" VII
automatically eliminate the political
boss and insure the no.nina'iDh III d.
nlrnbIc candidntcs'
It depends largely On the man be-
hind Me law When Il pcllucidly hon
tho direct primary. The machin: volt
tlcians fear greatly. bury the bill and
When "a Legislature Ike that of Ore.
HOn, diHrrHArdH party nhjOftticn and
situation results IN vigOr0un cam
pnign against such political riyhtc0us-
ness. In Auch states the gang"
fears the direct primary. But such
npprehenstOnB on the part OF Il DOllu.
cal machine are really not necessary.
Illinois has shown the country that a
direct primary may be the beat asset
hn ma <ktun snuunaxnu
A few years ago when Governor
Denecn entered the lists OF state poll.
tics as the champion OF reform. II
good many OF his fellow cltizcnH were
simple minded enough to believe that
In him they possessed Il man OF the
Rooseveltliughca typo. They have
discovered their mistake.
Bred In II school which regards
ideals as less important than precinct
captains. Governor Dencen :nisunder.
stood and mlshandled un opportunity
such as comes to few men In the
United States. Though still usihS the
him to the opportunity no devoted his
.eserEies and his control OF patronage
to the construction Of n most clabor
ate personal machine.
The Illinois Direct Primary Law has
become one OF tho cogs OF this ma
chine. Governor Deneen has been
from the start Its champion and has
persistently pressed It upon legls-
latures. Three times has law been
passed, only to be declared unconsti
tutional. The fourth law. now IN
operation. has rs yet escaped tAat
fate. In tho case OF some men. such
loyalty would mean political progress.
Az n matter OF practice Governor
Deneen's machine Ia debating to
the republican voters rs In the old
days, only now he does not bother to
call u caucus. lie and few OF his
friends get together and make out
the slate themselves. True. indcpen'
dent nominees may be put In the field.
but, except there be some great issue
at stake. they Will have little signiil'
cance. Thanks to It's apathy and to
the clevernesS OF It's managers. the
republican party In Illinois has today
less influence IN selecting candidates
than In the days OF the caucus.
Tho bearing OF these facts 10 evil
dent enough. A direct primary law
will not favor political reform. unless
Independent voterA take the trouble
to see that petitions for their candi'
dates are properly fled. It will help
the machine because the machine has
something more than political ideal
lam At stake.
How easy would reform be II II
were not 40 much bother!
So Thus We come back to our conten'
ton. 4 direct primary law IL m op'
portunity not panacea.
In the hands Of q politician like
Governor Denscn It 10 m opportunity
10 reward sectional party loyalty and
to force upon the party the choice be-
tween undesirable and more unde.