New-York tribune., 1910-02-22

nieht should he made. The state should
seek TO perfect the representative EN-
ne committee says that the direct pri-
mary system now in use for naming town
aho village officers in this state could not
ne extended with profit beyond such dis
rlcts- Far more essential than the state
Wide direct primary is the so-called short
ballot according to the committees no
uoR In any case the elimination from
elections of purely administrative officers
and offices requiring technical or profess
sonal skill viii be much more practical
reform than the direct primary The com
mittee says:
The very fact that there is an agitation
Tor short ballot is in and of itself PROOF
that men who are thinking along these
lines are convinced that the voters at the
election cannot wisely select so many OF
ficers as now are in the elective list. How
then, can they select from many canol-
dates before the primary?
The committee says that it has endear-
ored to make estimate of the cost 10 the
state of a statewide primary. including 'he
cost of printing, rent of polling places ana
the like. 1t processes to believe that apouI
s350ooo would be the amount
The committee finds the direct primary
legislation of Kansas to be producing the
best results.
Much testimony was taken by the COM
mittee in Kansas, most of which was favor
able to the direct primary system.
In the opinion of the committee the Mas
sachusetts primary laws are complicated
and the system is faulty. while the hIrdeh
OF the testimony produced there inclined 'he
legislators to take a very pessimisuc we"
of the situation What is known as tile
Luce law. providing for joint caucuses'
mandatory in Boston and has beeh
adopted by twelve cities This joint caucus
is conducted practically the same as an
election. Each voter by designating the
party of his choice becomes enrolled as
member of that party and cannot receive
ballot of another party. This system
may he adopted or abandoned by referen-
dunn vote. Thirteen of the 10 state Sen
ators nominated directly and l0l OF l'S
state Representatives. The direct system
also is used In 3 OF the II Congress dis
tricts. Delegates to state and county con-
ventions are elected directly al these pri-
maries.
AS to the workings OF the direct primary
laws in Illinois, Indiana ana Michigan the
committee was distinctly pessimistic- 1t
did not visit California. Missouri. Nebraska,
New jersey. North Dakota. Ohio, Okla
homa, Oregon, South Dakota and Washing
ton the Southern States. where the direct
primary system has been adopted by the
ma iority party under optional laws. In
New York State testimony was taken at
Ru~alo New York CITY and in Orleans
County. Considerable space is given in the
report to the so-called Erie County SYSTEM
the only objections to which were the alb
senCe of an official primary ballot and the
fact that names of primary candidates are
not required to be filed and published at
any specified date. These objections re
moved. the committee says. the so-called
Erie County system would cure most Oh
the evils now complained of
IF joint primary were TO be held by
regular election officers under all proper
statutory safeguards as TO party enrol
ment the system We think, for mh-
nicipality like Buffalo would be quite ldea'
so long partisan politics IS permi'ted
or thought desirable in the administration
aifa the committee.