New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1911-03-04
TO NOMINATE BY PLURALITY

TO NOMINATE BY PLU KALI \
In the State primary next Jan
uary the amendment OF 1908, pro-
! yiding for the nomination of the
: eirht officers below Governor by
plurality, Will apply for the first
tine. In other words, there Will
be second primaries, if n cessary.
only for Governor and United
States Senator
The change in the law was re
cciyed with indifference daring
the session two and half years
ago. Now. however, the country
papers. here and there. are dis
cuSsing its provisions. 1t Is nu.
surprising to find som of the rabld
machine baiters declaring the
amendment malicious connection
Of the machine to make more easy
its capture of all the offices.
AS a matter of fact the amend
ment was more desired by the
county and the city and it was
passed primarily because the vot-
ers had shown in 1904 and 1863
remarkable apathy with respect
to all The minor candidates.
In both campaigns only two
candidates offered for head of the
ticket. But there were three or
more for several Of the subordl-
nate places. In many districts the
campaigncrs found widespread
ignorance as to who were the as
pirants for these offices and the
lack of Information was general
as to the Sualifi: atirns Of the diff
ferent candidates. The man of
superior ability and FITNESS won
the support only if he possessed
an equal or greater faculty for
vote getting than his opponent.
The case Of Mr.. Bailey and Dir.
Lambremont serves as an lllustra- !
ton. Before the first primary
was held Mr. Bailey was willing
to make an agreement by which
both should abide by the first |
primary. At that time no feeling |
had been engendered between
them or their followers. and # the |
arrangement had been carried into
effect no one would have YueS-
toned by honesty of the election
in either the city or the country.
But the agreement was never
made. each candidate spent more
than the Office was financ ally
worth in the first primary and
then they entered second in
which their expenses were largely
increased.
The experience of Mr.. Bailey
and Mr.. Lambremnnt was in a les
ser degree that of other candidates
in the two campaigns 1t dem
)nstrated that no candidate could
aspire to a subordinate office, IN
which, unlike Che 'Goveinor. he
has to bear all his own expenses,
lnless he was fairly well provided
with worldly goods or. like some
If them. was willing to run into
lebt on the chance of VIM ng.
1t was these two elements, the
of the electorate and
he almost prohibitive cost to a
Door man which led to the amend ,
nent. A sentiment existed among
many former ardent advocates Of
he primary that the interests of
he public service would be pro-
noted if it were abandoned alto
,ether except as to the Governor
nd Senator. but a natural re-
uctance to swing the pendulum
o far in the opposite direction
ed to the compromise of making
he nominations by plurality. But
hat was only step. Ultimately
he primary will be completely
wiped out except as to the higher
ftices. and the signs of it are in
he views of some of the leaders 7
1 what is now called the reform /.
lovement and the bold decision
t the Gold Government League
D nominate a straight ont ticket o
/ the coming campaign, a Gear &
collation. of the basic principles L
t the primary law. &
The history of the past two cam r.
aignS does not sustain the view II
nat the amendment was inspired Il
y the alleged city machine. If Is
he plurality rule had previously +
revailed MIR. Bailey and not Mr.. N
would have been n
ieut Governor today and Capt. L
teele would have been Treasurer u
'ur years earlier. The city or q
anization has its chances of land yc
e its candidate much enhanced. "
Dt lessened. when a second prim- y
y is necessary to decide.
As the drift is today there will
, fewer rather than more candl- ca
ates for the State offices next ur
,ar. Unless there is a change in -
lie present programme, the al
ged reform movement will do in r .'
e State what it has done in the To-
~, select its candidates and con- or
nitrate all its support upon them. sx
a such course will inevitably ~ ~
arrow the contest on the othei ha
lie. +,
The truth is that. in spite of the In
timism of its champions, the be
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