The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-26
OLD BAY STATE
FACES NEW. ISSUE
DIRECT PRIMARY LAW WILL GO
INTO EFFECT FOR FIRST
TINE.
FOSS FEELS CERTAIN
REPRESENTATIVE NORMAN III,
WHITE DOES NOT SUFFER FOR
LACK OF FUNDs-ELEC-
TI0N ONE OF INTEREST.

I BOSTON. Sept 25.--To-morrow
Massachusetts faces her first election
unaer the new direct primary law
a step ia the direction OF more direct
government by The people, which the
politicians and the citizenship in gen
eral Of the Commons ealtn are watch
ing with interest
he old time conventions, sometimes
mas ridden. sometimes boss-domi-
mated, are thing OF the past ana it
Is 10 the voters themselves that the
choice of who shall represent them
IN the state government is directly
presented. WHAT they will do is a
moot question.
Much OF the interest in the com
ing caucus IS destroyed by the fact
that Governor Foss. who VIII UNI
doubleday be the Democratic nominee,
has no candidate 10 make him spend
any great effort in order to again
I become his party choice. Honest
Tom Hisgen Of Springfield, il a can
didate against Foss. but his campaign
appears To be entirely local. and what
ever votes he receives in the vicinity
OF the Kerkshires VIII be cast rather
for his Devotion to a principle tnan
a belief that he has a chance to
become the Democratic standard
bearer.
ON the other hand the Republican
campaign Is both lively and interest
ing. and the three cornered fight for
the nomination has stirred up political
pots that have not boiled for some
years, Il s rather an unusual thing
10 see three Republican candidates
for the States highest Office and it
Is most unusual to see them all go
before the people 1t WAS fashion
able In the past To tight il out before
the convention, and the voter had the
choice Of accepting the candidate of
the leaders or boiling the ticket
No Lack OF Funds.
II has been long tight and a hard
fight fer all three candidates. 1t
has effectively demonstrated that
hi}e the new direct primary law
may be grand thing for the people.
II IS an effective barrier against the
average man running for high office
unless he is we'll supplied with the
worlds goods.
Representative Norman H. White
does not suffer from lack Of funds,
and II his candidacy is unsuccessful
il viii not he because ne has not
conducted the most systematic and
thorough campaign tina; money can
make The BroakAz4- representative
has been constantly on the move
since the closing Of the Legislature
His agents have cauvassed the large
mill cities and IN Essex county par
ticularly an effort has been made to
liue most Of the rough and ready
mem beers Of the party for the anti
New Haven champion. That Is
where Candidate Whites insurgency
begins and ends. While he has posed
AS the arch enemy OF the corpora
tons and an ardent supporter OF
progressive policies and principles. ne
has not departed from the beaten
path that machine candidates ira
verse enough to make him obnoxious
TO any of the big leaders.
Lieutenant Governor Louis A
rockingham is the pet Of the State
and city machine. While machines
were supposed to have been put down
and ont by the new direct primary
law, there Is evidence that they still
exist, though whether they are as
potent and effective a force as in the
past is yet to be demonstrated. froth-
ingha mis- being given all the sup
port that the State machine can give
him in the open, and his personal
machine is doing effective work be-
sides.
Campaign L. Unusual.
Speaker Joseph Walker plods along
constantly working and supremely
continent. fae a. tAAN4E "a NtN - ~
insurgent that Washington developed,
and he has advocated more progress
sive legislation and measures that the
machine disliked than any of mis- RI
Vais.
In more Ways than one the present
Massa chusetts campaign is unusual
In the first place, IL appears that per
sonalities rather than issues are to
be discussed. and again the Repuhli-
can aspirants. rather than discuss the
shortcomings OF their rivals have all
directed their batteries towards GOV
ernor Foss, And the Governor, ex-
tremely confident or re election is
taking things easy and does not pro-
pose to make any campaign until at
ter the primaries.
Governor Foss ieels that the high
cost Of living and the tariff are yet
live issues. He feels that the public
is satisfied with his administration IS
far as II has gone, and is ready and
willing to return him to Beacon Hin
to continue the work he has started
There Will be conventions this year
as in the past. but they will he mere
ly part Of the necessary and legal
formula that the parties must 60
through with, They win merely adopt
the platform and elect the balance Of
the State committee. II viii ne a
chance fnr nratorH. nothing more.
Those who urged the passage OF
the direct primary law argued that