The Washington herald., 1911-02-26


delegates to the State convention nom-
mated at county conventions. the dele
gates to which are chosen at the pri-
maries. The idea of letting the voters
themselves name their candidates for
State offices directly prevails in only a
few States. In a larger number, county
and district candidates may be named
directly, while in a still larger number
city and township candidates are nominat-
ed at the primary election without the
intervention of conventions. In nearly
every State that has anything that could
fairly be called a direct primary NOM
nations law it applies to the nomination
of Congressional candidates.
Among the infinite variations in exist
ing primary laws, an interesting one is
found in Texas. where. upon petition of
10 per cent of the voters of a party, any
question of party policy must be sub
mitted for vote at the primary election
and receive a majority vote before it can
be Incorporated in the party platform.
The usual method of getting ones name
before the voters as a candidate at the
primary election is by petition, the pro-
portion of the party voters whose sigma
lures are required to such petitions being
fixed by law. and tho name being re-
quired to be placed on the primary bal
let when proper petitions have been filed
with the election authorities. In some
States. as in New York, the selection Of
primary nominees is left TO the party
committees, while in others. as in Penn
sylvania, the mere publication in the
newspapers of the intention to become
Il candidate at the primary constitutes a
sufficient nomination, in the case of
many local Offices.
Only one State has so far gone to the
logical limit of requiring that every can
didate for an elective Office, including
delegates to national conventions, shall
be chosen directly by the voters at the
primary election. Here, again, we find
Oregon, leader in so many progressive
political reforms, once more in the front
rank. Under the Oregon primary law
every candidate for office, including Pres
idential electors. United States Senators.
and all State, county, district, precinct.
city, ward. and other officers and dele
gates to constitution and other conven-
tions, must receive his nomination at the
hands of the voters direct
The provision for the election OF ma
tional convention delegates was adopted
by referendum vote on initiative pc
tition in 1910 1t provides that when can
didates for President and Vice President
are to be nominated every qualified
elector OF a political party shall have
opportunity to vote his preference, on
his party nominating ballot, for his
choice for one person for President and
one for Vice President, either by writ
ing the names of such persons in blanks
left on the ballot or by marking a cross
in front Of names printed on the bal
lot. Names are to be printed on the
ballots only on the petition of their po-
litical supporters in the State. The dele
gates to the national conventions and
the nominees for Presidential electors
are to be chosen at the same primaries.
and each delegate to a national conven-
tiOn is to receive a certificate of election
from the governor. stating how many
votes were cast for each candidate for
President and for Vice President. The
Oregon law goes still further. however.
in providing that the expenses of the
national delegates so elected. in attend
paid by the State. not to exceed $500 each,
and requiring each delegate TO make
oath that he will support the candidates
for President and Vice President. who
received the highest vote at the primary.
It is the extension of this Oregon plan,
with some possible notifications. that
is being urged by the National Progress
sive Republican League as one of the
important steps it deems necessary to
complete popular government Comment
ing upon this proposal, former President
Roosevelt said recently:
1T seems to me an admirable plan that
there should be a direct election of dele
gates to national conventions, with op-
pOrtunity for the voter to express his
choice for President and Vice President;
although of course, such latitude of ac-
ton must be left to the delegate as to
permit his exercising his own judgment
If his first or second choice proves i'm
possible. This is merely slightly to alter
the present-day practice when delegates
are instructed by State and district con-
ventiOnS to vote for a given candidate"
The stock arguments of the opponents
of direct primary nominations are mainly
that the expense of circulating petitions
for places on the primary ballots is pro-
hibitive for the independent candidate
who has no wealthy party organization
behind him, and that the tendency of the
recognition by law of political parties
and their control is to emphasize party
differences and fasten party control on
the people, instead of abolishing 1t. AS
these arguments usually come from in
6ividuals identified with the existing sys-
TEN of boss control, which is undeniably
threatened by the direct nominations
too seriously. They have been met, how
ever. in several instances, the first by
laws restricting the amount Of money
that may be spent in obtaining sigma
lures to petitions, which are operative
in several States, and the second by the
adoption OF a nonpartisan primary sys-
tenn. TheretAr some students of political
questions who believe that the partisan
primary, with it's regulation of previ-
ously unregulated political parties, is
merely a necessary step toward the ul-
innate abolition of all parties.
In many of the cities where the COM
mission plan Of government prevails
primaries for the nomination of candi-
dates for CITY offices are nonpartisan, as
are the elections. no party designations
being used on the ballots. California
Oregon, Minnesota. and Wisconsin have
all at different times abolished the test
OF party membership as prerequisite
for taking part in the primary election,
but in tho two first-named States this
has been declared unconstitutional, and 1t