The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-11
WORD GAME STICKS
IN COLONEL S CRAW

in the laws during the progress .; the
contest. II these changes would de-
privc the captains q; the political!
world or the advantage they now mold
over the plain people.
Issue AZ lie sees 1t.
lin short the Issue msy he stated
as follows:
Should election laws be framed with
view 10 the interests OF politicians,
o. should election Laws be framed with
u view 70 carrying out the popular
VIII? We have, on the one hand. Mr.
Mckinley and AIR Campboli and ne
Probationary element for wAom thsy
stand, an element which has made 1t
evident that they prefer 10 Ne Tie
Republican party ruined rather than
10 see It made again what it wps in
the days OF Lincoln; and, Oh thc other
hand. those who believe that the re
publican party can and shall be made
nov what II was under Lincoln
great instrument Tor the achievement
OF righteousness through the rule OF
the plain people. We regard the pres
cnt contest not SIS contest between
indiyiduals-for We are not concerned
with the welfare o: any particular in
dividual. neither with mine nor With
that OF any other tnan-but as con
test between ;hese two radically DIFF
tics in q great democracy.
Therefore we demand that 5tatea
like Illinois. Michigan, New York,
massachusetts, be given the chance
TO express their preference IN presi
DENTAL primaries a. 20 whom they
wish for President. Practically the
entire body OF professional politicians
are pitted against US in this contest
and in every state and In every con-
gressional district they are led by the
officeholders who. with the example
before them OF what was done in con
ncction with the nominations for local
offices IN North Carolina. are working
as we have rarely seen them work IN
American political life Against such
forces IL is I'm any event difficult
enough for the ordinary plain citizens.
who have only tho general welfare at
heart, to win. But 1t becomes we'll
nigh impossible for these plain citi-
zens to give expression to the popular
will when there Is no popular pri-
mary.
1.-THE convention system in our
party was founded on the tneory that
IT would represent and not thwart the
popular will. When, az Is too often
now the case, it Is turned into an in
strumcnt to be used for the direct
overthrow of the popular VIII. then 1t
is not representative, but thoroughly
and mischievously misrepresentation of
the party and of the people. Here in
New York, for instance, the machines
OF the two parties have co-operatcd to
develop primary law which imposes
on tho people a system so cumbrous,
so involved, az TO make impossible q
fair expression OF public sentiment and
very difficult TO get an expression OF
public sentiment at all. The present
primary law in New York is adj
mirably adapted to achieve its pur-
pose: for it's purpose is 10 prevent the
people from controlling party organ
iZations or having their say in party
nominations, and to preserve such con-
troll and such domination purely for
the class of professional politicians.
Not Too Late.
"It Is idle to say that 1t Is too late
to make the change we ask. Our OPP
ponents are themselves to blame for
the fact that the demand has not been
sooner granted. For a long time-for
over eighteen months in the State OF
New York, for instancc--cvcry pro-
gressve, every friend OF really popular
government. has been demanding a
Wherever we have failed to get this
system, such failure is due TO the
action OF the reactionary whose one
ain Is to prevent the people from con-
trolling party organizations to which
they belong, VINO thoroughly distrust
the people and do not believe in their
rights 10 rule. And now these men
who have thus prevented the people
from getting direct primaries, demand
that they be allowed to remain tho
bencfciarics of their own wrong and