The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-08
DIRECT PRIMARY CHOICE ,

In his letter announcing himself as
candidate for the Presidency. Col
Roosevelt includes proposition that is
perhaps designed as foundation for
contention trouble, and disruption. His
language in tins particular is. 81 hope
that. so far lis possible, the people may
be given chance through direct pri
maries TO express their preference as
to who shall be the nominee of the
Republican Presidential Convention.
Senator Bristow of Kansas quickly
seized upon this. and makes it the
prominent feature of his support of
Roosevelt, saying, 81 agree with him
that the Presidential nominee ought to
be determined by the majority OF Re
pubicans in direct primary vote. {"
Moro recent uttcrances from the
Roosevelt campaign headquarters and
from Col Roosevelt himself, continue
this insistence upon Presidential pri
maries; so that there is evidently some
scheme or trick in view in connection
with the preferential primary idea that
the Roosevelt crowd mean to make use
of.
II is known to Col. Roosevelt, and
also to Senator Bristow, that in the
States in general there is no such
thing as a provision for direct pri-
mary vote on choice for President,
either on the Republican or the Demo
cratic side. II Is known to them that
if there were, Democrats could vote
for Republican Presidential choice, and
Republicans for Democratic Prcsiden-
tial choice. 1t is clear also that ID
both cases the opposing party vote
would be cast for tho supposed weak
est candidate of the opposition; so that
there would be no real popular choice
involved II is known that La Fol
lctte in Wisconsin gets IN his primary
the support OF most of the Democratic
vote of the State, and il is certain that
in no State could the choice of either
party be limited in voting TO the mem
from getting party choice In this
matter, it would he the almost certain
method Of overturning the real party
choice.
AT the same time. it is probable that
the Roosevelt boomers would expect
to get the most Of the delegates chosen
by primary vote, since it is in the So
called progressive States that Presi-
Dental primaries are possible, and only
possible in them. What. then, might
bo The result? The Roosevelt dele.
gates would come from those progress
sive States direct, as they would claim,
from the people. The Taft delegates
would come from conventions held, and
choosing their delegations in the way
that has usually prevailed in the party
procedure The Roosevelt delegates,
therefore. would claim that they were
the only real representatives Of the
people present in convention, and that
the delegates chosen by conventions
were packed and did not represent the
popular choice. There would be Of
fcred the most malignant possible
chance for a row and split. If that
sort Of thing should be pushed to ey-
trcmos. as it is possible that the Roosc-
velt clauucrs might be disposed to push
it, a split would be inevitable, and a
double nomination.
There is. therefore, in this announce
ment of Roosevelt. aside from the bad
faith and the disturbing force of the
main proposition. this subsidiary ele-
mcnt Of turmoil unrest. and dcstruc-
tion. The inclusion of the direct pri-
mary proposition in Col. Roosevelt IS
letter is n mischjevous proposition.
fruitful of trouble if pressed, and the
instant seizure upon it by Senator Bris,
tow and his insistcnce upon it as the
prime idea. together with the constant
harpinG upon that idea by the Roose
welt supporters, indicates that there may
he more in the suggestion and more
trouble brewing, than politicians are
inclined at this time TO think