The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-11-17

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Ftinf ftfalsilah. ava ihf Hnerlheat ftf
iht dlioti pfmafy ffti Impressed IN
snispitft form Oh come VI ftt NfalH
az che al0nlh md Wtti Through thsaHaa
Do paftf rules. hoiHilhalandinf tha
careful regulation 81 party Irlmafitt.
experience on lhe mainland hrs ahoun
that the will % che party NAV BE-
thwhucd BY On anioefaiie chairman
aided by arbitrary convention rules, ana
dolcgnics often claim che right 20 fol-
low their Individual preferences rather
than be governed BY the choice OF THEFT
constituents On baloiing for candl
dates. The use and manipulation OF
proxies has ulso furnished ground Tor
complaint. in Iowa a law was passed
requiring delegates 70 conventions 20
vote for the candidates designated az
the primaries by tho voters Of their
respective prccincts- 10 IL but n short
step from such law 10 a direct primary
law. As a result OF the forty yoars'
movement toward regulation Of party
primaries, every State In the Union
has now iegislated against the abnsos
arising under the voluntary party sys-
tenn Of nomination, and, Il may be
said, In general, that ia most OF the
States the project Of primary regula-
ton is fairly we'll carried out. In two
or three States the most advanced laws
have been repealed but generally
speaking, no State has taken back
ward step in primary regulation. Thus,
IL appears, that Hawaii, lacking in
legislation, has fallen to the rear in
the march Of progress.
Wider Popular Choice.
In spite of the fact that the primary
had been surrounded by most of the
safeguards of an ordinary election, the
people in many of the States seemed
to be unsatisfied. The convention sys-
tenn itself was attacked and demand
was made that candidates should be
nominated by direct vote of the party.
There was a desire for wider popular
participation in government. 1t was
healthy sign. 1t evidenced a tendency
for popular control over all agencies of
politics, the growth of which has been
manifested not only in the passage of
direct primary laws, but in the adop-
tion of the still more advanced, the
referendum, the initiative, the recall
and, latterly, in the commission form
of government for municipalities.
Responsibility Weakened.
Senator Bourne, in speech deliver
ed in the United States Senate last
year, compared the convention system
with the direct primary method as fol-
lows: "Under the convention sys-
TEN the members of a party delegate
their power of selection Of candidates
to the members of a convention. To
my mind this system is most pernicious,
because the party electorate feels that
its responsibility ceases with the selec-
ton of its convention delegates. Hence
the responsibility of citizenship is
weakened and shiftlessness encouraged
AS soon as the delegates to the con.
vention are chosen, the power of selee-
tion of public servants becomes cen
tralized in "A few, and opportunity is
extended to individuals and interests
who wish to use public servants for
selfish or Interior purposes. Influences
adverse to the general welfare are i'm.
mediately brought to bear upon this
body of delegates. Factions are Great
ed, combinations effected, and party
disruption frequently results. Often 9
convention dominates man for public
office who, prior to the convention, wa
never seriously considered as a probabl,
nominee. In my thirty years expert
enee in politics quite frequently have
seen this the case. This strengthen
my conviction that the prevailing sys
tenn of convention selections of party
candidates is not representative, but
misrepresentation, form of government
! The people certainly have no voice il
the selection of candidates when theil
temporary representatives had no idet
of making selection until occurrence.
transpiring during the convention de
termine their action. In the selection
of the individuals composing the slate
the political boss has in mind the per
petuation of his own power, and selects
individuals whose interests are identica
with his, or whom he thinks he car
direct and control, though occasional
~, If anticipating struggle, he will
select a few men whose standing il
the community will bring strength t.
the slate he has prepared in order Il
carry out his purposes Under the con
vention system the nominee realizes
that his nomination is due chiefly, il
not entirely, to the boss. With thi.
knowledge naturally goes feeling Of
obligation, so that the nominee, wher
elected, is DESTROYS, whenever possible
of aeceding to the wishes of the MAI
to whom his nomination is due. Thu
the efficiency and independence of tn,
public servant is seriously affected anC
his duty to the public in many case,
completely annihilated. How different
in its operation is the direct primary
The man who seeks nomination IN
der the direct primary system must pre-
sent before the members OF his part,
the policies and principles by which h,
will be governed if nominated ant
elected. The members of party hav,
II within their power to determin,
which Of the candidates best represent
their ideas and wishes. After the,
have made their selections the candi
dates of opposing parties must stan,
before the people at the general elee
tion, when a choice win be made be
tween them. A public servant thu
chosen owes his election 10 no faction
machine or boss. but 10 the members o
l.