The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-04

Next year North Dakota WILL ON the
list of states in which presidential
preferences will be decided by the
voters. The election for this purpose
shall be held OF the third Tuesday
in March preceding the presidential
election and the ballots provided for
that election shall not only contain
the names of candidates for dele
gates to the national conventions,
presidential electors and national
committeeman. but those for presi-
dent and vice president as we'll. The
nominations for this election must be
made by petition.
The plan is new in this state and
has some elements that are novel.
The delegates to the national conven-
tions must take and subscribe to the
same oath in substance as a public
official with the addition that he will
ito the hest of his ability and iudS-
ment faithfully carry out the wishes
of his political party as expressed by
the voters" at the primary election.
Just how these instructions will he
followed when a national convention
begins to hunt for a candidate. or
when the followers of a particular
candidate begin to break from him
remains TO be Seen. suppose the
candidate for which he was instruct
ed fails to ecure the nomination. can
he then make his own choice and not
be accountable to his constituency
for an error if n is made? Would
he be justified in trading h choice
of the people for vice president in
order To gain strength for their
choice for president? Can he join
in making Il nomination unanimous
after it has once been secured:
These and many other questions con-
front the man who aSpireS to be a
national delegate.
Just now two men stand out pre-
snoinently as candidates in the Re-
publican party-President Taft and
Senator La Toilette. Suppose the
DELEGATES from this state are in
structed by the voters for Senate La
Toilette, but when the national con-
vention meets it is found that that
the two wings of the party can not
get together on either candidate and
in the event of either being nominate
ed the others following will refuse
to support him to such an extent that
party success would he jeopardized.
Suppose further that a man like
Judge Hughes We're brought forward
as a candidate upon whom both elc-
nents would unite with assurance Of
success at the polls, would the in
structions Of the voters be SO bind
ing as not to permit the delegates
joining in such Il move?
1t is evident from Il careful read
ing of the law that the legislature
sought to enact the spirit rather than
the letter of party honesty. But it
is better for the electorate to study
out some of the problems involved
while the public Judgment is not
SWayed by the neat of a partisan
campaign rather than wait until aft
or the work has been done and then
charge the n responsible with a
betrayal of his trust. The sooner
the idea that all men are politically
dishonest is taken out of the public
mind the better for the nation.
Men may differ as to policies and
methods but on the whole the aver
age man is honest in public life. The
unfortunate thing is that we insist
on them making ton many promises
while candidates that it is beyond the
power of man to fulfill. We do o
stop to reason that in eXtorting a
promise from n man when he is o
in a position to say no is just as bad
as failing to fulfill such promise after
it. is made. In the language Of the
strenuous n the first is Il holdup,
the SECOND a lie.
1t will be better for the state. bet
ter for the party and better for the
delegates if the public understands
the conditions which must surround
him when he attempts to carry their
mandate into the national conven-
kion