The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-01-18
THE GOVERNORS ADVICE.


We are fearful lest some of our
subscribers have not read the complete
text of the governors recent message
to the legislature 1t is brief, COM
pact little document, occupying not
more than ten columns of small type
in our daily papers. Entertaining the
fear that this had escaped the notice
OF reading the entire document. 1t is
a straightforward, business-like expo
sition of the needs OF Iowa and is free
from bombast or any attempt at rhe-
torical effect. There are many pOr-
tons which are, or should be, of inter-
est to legislators and to special inter-
ests, which need not be dWelt upon
here. Upon the question OF the prl-
mary, the rural schools and the good
roads movement the governor does,
however, make some very practical
suggestions which can well be consd-
cred by every citizen.
Speaking Of the primary, the gov
ernOr dWells upon the necessity foH
making such restrictions as will make
it truly representative of party gov
eminent Those who have objected
to the primary system have done SO
largely upon the ground that he road
was lett open Tor members of another
party to step in and dictate the nom
nations of party to which they owed
no real allegiance. The governor il
county, where all the democratic can
didates for governor registered but a
few more than seven hundred votes,
whereas at the previous election their
vote had been over three thousand. 1t
is wholly unfair to those who have
the interests Of party at heart, who
have worked for it faithfully, and who
are willing to abide by the majority
verdict reached by their fellow party
workers that they should have the
policy OF their party dictated by men
we'll known TO be in opposition to all
that it teaches. The first step toward
fair primary must therefore be the
eradication OF interference from those
who are not actually and at heart in
sympathy with that party. No demo
cratic and no independent voter has
any business to participate in re-
publican primary. No republican and
no independent voter has any business
to participate in a democratic primary.
We realize that it is difficult to get
at the hearts Of men, but we believe
that there is more danger to fairness
in making the way easy for voters to
overstep their party bounds than IN
too restrictive measures. For this rea-
son we think that the voter as to
whose party utilization there is any
question, should be obliged not only
to give oath as to his intent to vote
with a certain party at the next cleo
ton, but that he should be required
to make affidavit that he voted for at
least q majority of the candidates on
that party ticket at the prior election
This would not entirely eliminate the
evil. but would limit it to a great de-
gree.
The governor is certainly right
when he points out the difficulty with
which the average voter meets when
he attempts to pass upon the quallil-
cations of candidates for minor state
Offices about whom he has had no real
opportunity to inform himself. The
statistics show that the primary vote
on the various minor state ofhceS was
very largely by the position
of the names on the ballot and not by
any real cnoice of the voter. This is
by the fact that in large
majority OF cases the man whose name
first on the ballot in any
comfy for a minor office carried the
county. We have for long time be-
Iieyed that if we are to have prl-
mary it should be restricted to the
head of the ticket and to the selection
of delegates, who in turn should make