The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1911-12-02
SATURDAY. DECEMBER ?, 1911.
THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY,

THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY.
There is considerable agitation
throughout the country Just now II
favor OF direct primary for the nomi
nation of candidates tor president Of
the United States The suggestion
came first from the supporters OF Sena
tor LaFolette aud il was made not SC
much in the interest OF good govern
mont as in the interest Of Mr. LaFol
lette. The. challenge OF the so called
"progressives has been accepted by
the President. tor it il given ont that
he hassannounced. himself as satisfied
with such an arrangement tor the
settling Of the question of Ohio's sup
port in the coming convention.
In few of the states of the Union,
notably California. laws have already
been passed providing for direct pri-
mary for president. In many other
states prominent members of the state
central committee have announced
themselves as favorable to such a
scheme.
IL is not likely that there will be any
great move this year towards the selec-
ton Of presidential candidates directly
by the people. 1t is certain. however.
that the presidential nominees of 1912
will be- the last chosen by the old con-
vention system. That system is DOOM
Ell and will fall just al surely as did
the system OF congressional caucuses
that prevailed prior to the convention
system
This agitation for greater range IN
the selection of candidates is nothing
new. IL is contest that has been 60
ing on since the time the government
was instituted and will continue as
long as the government eudures. The
'progressives" Of today will become
the reactionaries Of tomorrow.
Fear of the people was one OF the
principles that pervaded the constitu-
tional convention ard every safeguard
calculated to preserve the government
against the momentary gusts oil pOpu-
lar passion was adopted. The world
moves the horizon of intelligence that
was so limited In the days OF Washing
ton have been gradually extended and
with that extension co-exIsting safe
guards become useless and are Topped
of.
So fearful were the founders Of this
government OF the people that nomin-
ations were made by Caucuses OF legis-
lators, many of whom held their posi-
tions because OF restricted suffrage.
As the infant government became
stronger and the iegen OF public school
education began 20 work. the agitation
against the Gloss corporation method OF
selecting candidates grew until IL broke
into a flame under John Quincy Adams
and, with Andrew jackson as It's apps
tic, the convention system WAS iusti-
tuted
Wheu the makers OF the constitution
inserted the clause giving the southern
people more than their share Of in
fiuence because Of the enumeration Of
"two-thirds Of all other people not
electors, they wrote into the politics OF
this nation an "irrepressible conflict
that ended only ia the total destruction
of that power 10y the war between the
states When rhsd Stevens and nIs
co-partners wrote into the constitution
the fifteenth amendment they trans.
ferred the power held by the southern
ers TO the nortt ern moneyed oligarchy
and wrote into American politics an.
other irrepressbile conflict That is now
bling fought out to the destruction OF
the power that has held IL since the
days OF reconstruction through the
solid south oE primary day for the ad.
ministration and un election day foi
the democratic party. The prime a.
gency of its destruction Is the direct
primary.
Ii is true that the power IL being
transferred from the moneyed power q
the fellow with the gibe tongue anc
that usurpation of power 10y the de
magogue Is az dangerous Ak that by the
money oligarohy but time is its owl
chastener and future generations viii
work out that problem when the usur
patton Lecomes acute.
The convention is doomed and TO MP
hold It now is simply to continue th
conflict and delay the day OF it's abol
ishment