Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-30

progressive party this coming November,
down at Annapolis Junction. Md, the
citizens of the Junior Republic are rest
ing peacefully. Their whole political pro-
cess, condensed but complete, will be set
tied for the ensuing half year when the
Inauguration of the successful candidate
of the conservative party takes place
July 1.
Their political proceedings are as grave
to these little citizens as the events which
transpired at Chicago or Baltimore are to
the average citizen who looks to the out
come of the political campaigns for hints
of the country's future prosperity or re-
progression.
The little political dramas enacted at
the miniature republic twice each year
fit in with the general aims of the in
stitution. morally, socially and education
ally By direct training in the exercise
of the franchise the junior citizens form
a nucleus for national political under
standing and clear ideas of rights, privi-
leges and responsibilities that accompany
citizenship in the great national machine
The first gong for political attention is
sounded among the boys when the little
groups begin to gather in their admins
trative hall and the conversation be
comes animated on the subject of who S
going to be the next president? These
preliminary discourses precede the con-
vention by the space of month or more.
for the boys have learned that premedita-
ton helps Judgment the same as the
spring gives impetus to the leaf.
At the convention, which is modelled in
the case of each republic after the
methods of the state in which 1t is sit
uated, the same procedure followed by
the state Of Maryland is employed at the
Junior Republic on the Annapolis road.
The two factions are named peoples and
constitutional parties, and are radical
and conservative, respectively. Inc Is
sues at stake between the immature par
ties could not be very weighty. so neither
one confesses to any particular policy
which differentiates it from the other.
Partisanship to either one therefore.
would rely almost entirely upon when
name held the strongest appeal. The
boys in flying the colors of one party or
the other explain their preference by can
did admiration of the party's candidate
or his profession of their fair treatment
during his administration.
The fact whether the candidate runs
on the platform or the platform is made
to suit the candidate is immaterial to
them since, In the absence of any party
policies, the possibility of having plat
form on which to exploit them Is neces-
saruy eliminated.
The convention, therefore. is solely for
the nomination of party candidates on
personal merit alone.
At this convention. which Is held two
weeks before election. the vice president
is nominated with the president. The
other officers of the republic are named
by the president in his inaugural address.
Such an arrangement simplifies any cleo
pioneering and provides opportunity for
ample logrolling. The boy DESTROYS of
candidacy has but to appeal to lis con-
stituents with Well fellows, If you
want to be officers you might put me up
for president and maybe you'll get your
wish
However popularity is not the only
thing that counts i'll nomination. The
records in studies, games and court must
speak for itself.
The candidates in the election lately
completed were very evenly matched as
the return votes showed. The candidate
of the peoples party was the same boy
who has held the presidency the last six
months His friends and followers were
confident of his success until the consti-
tutional party brought forward a boy
who grew so strongly in popularity that
the bout which had given promise of
being complete conquest for the
formerly successful party now assumed
the semblance of evenly matched con-
test.
This new opponent is a well hammered
little chap about sixteen. His person
ality does not seem particularly impress
sive at first glance. but he evidently has
plenty of reserve force and a way with
the boys to have brought majority and
victory to the constitutional party. when
progressiveness and radical change seems
to be the dominant note in the national
political discord
Election day at the republic is very
exciting time. The votes are cast in
the library building, under surveillance of
strict inspector of election. The ballots
are printed by the boys at the printing
shop which they themselves maintain,
and placed in ballot boxes similar to