New-York tribune., 1912-03-11
Blames Professional Politicians.

Therefore, we demand that states like IL
| linois, Michigan. New York and Massachu-
| setts be given the chance 10 express their
! preference in Presidential primaries as 10
whom they wish for President. Pract-
! cally the entire body of professional politi-
! clans are pitted against us in this contest
ana III every state and in every congress
! district they are led by the oihceholders;
who, with the example before them OF
what was done in connection with the
nominations for local offices in North Caro-
| lima, are working as we have rarely seen
them work in American political life.
Against such forces il is in any event
difficult enough for the ordinary plain Clti-
zens, who have only the general welfare at
heart, TO win, But II becomes welnigh I'M
possible for these plain citizens 10 give en-
preston TO the popular will when there Is
no popular primary.
The convention system in our party was
| founded on the theory that II would repre-
sent and not thwart the popular Will
When, as is too often now the case, II IS
turned into an instrument TO be used TOT
the direct overthrow OF the popular WILL
then IL is not representative, but thorough
~ and mischievously misrepresentative OF
the party and of the people. Here in New
York, for instance, the machines or the
two parties have Co-operated 10 draw up a
primary law which imposes on the people
a system so CumbrOus, so involved, as 10
make II impossible to get a fair expression
of public sentiment and very difficult 10
get any expression OF public sentiment az
all. The present primary law In New lork
is admirably adapted TO achieve its pur-
pose; for its purpose is TO prevent the peo-
or having their say in party NOMINATIONS
and to preserve such control and such
domination purely for the class of pro-
fessional politicians.
Not Too Late to Change, He Says.
II is idle to say that it is too late to
make the change we ask. Our opponents
are themselves to blame for the fact that
the demand has not been sooner granted
For Iona time-for more than eighteen
months in the State of New York, for
instance-eVery Progressive, every friend
Of really popular government, has been
demanding a system of genuine direct
primaries. Wherever we have failed to
oct this system such failure is due to the
action of the reactionsry, whose one aim
is to prevent the people from controlling
party organizations to which they be-
Iong, who thoroughly dstrust the people
and do not believe in their right to rule
And now these men, who have thus pre-
vented the people from getting direct prl-
maries. demand that they be allowed TO
remain the benefcaries Of their own
wrong and ask TO be excused from grant
ing the demand for direct primaries now
tust because they have contemporary re-
fused to grant that demand in the past
There never was a stradGhter fight waged
for the principle OF popular rule than thst
which we are now EaginE. We are fight
ing against intrcuchcd privilege botn DO
litical privilege and financial privilege We
believe that II given fair chance the
people will declare against both political
and financial privilege. Therefore. We de-
mand that they he given that fair chance
II the people decide against us, We will
bow cheerfully to the decision. confident
that they will In the end see that the cause
Tor which we fight IS indeed the cause
Of human rights and human welfare. But
we very emphatically object. here in this
democracy and within the confines or thc
marty which claims Abraham Lincoln aS
lis national founder. to having the issu"
decided against us not By the people but
by the spoils politicians and patronage
hangers who are engaged in defrauding
the American people out OF their first ard
most elemental right-the right 10 self
government. Sincerely yours, ...,.,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.