The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-11
TAFT MANAGER REFUSES
TO HELP SECURE PRIMARIES
tContinued from Page IL

Therefore. we demand that states
like Illinois. Michigan, New York,
Massachusetts, be given the chance to
express their preference in presidenti-
al primaries as to whom they wish for
president. Practically the entire body
Of professional politicians is pitted
against us in this contest and in every
state and in every congressional dis
trict they are led by the oficeholders
who. with the example before them of
what was done In connection 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 1t is, in any
event.. difficult enough for the ordinary
plain citizens. who have only the gem
eral welfare at heart. to win. But 1t
becomes well nigh impossible for those
popular will when there is nc popular
primary.
THE convention system in u party
was founded on the theory that It
would represent and not thwart the
popular will. When, as is too often
now the case. 1t Is turned into an In.
strument to be used for the direct
overthrow Of the popular will, then It
Is not representative but thoroughly
and mischievously misrepresentation
Of the party and Of the people. Here
in New York. for instance. the ma.
chimes Of h two parties are cooper
ated to draw up a primary law which
imposed on the people a system so
cumberous, so involved as to make 1t
impossible to get affair expression of
public sentiment and very difficult to
get any expression Of public sentiment
at all The present primary law in
New York admirably is adapted to
achieve its purpose: for its purpose is
party organizations or having their
say in party nominations and to pre-
serve such control and such DONNA
ton purely for the class of profess
sional politicians.
1T is idle to say that it is too late
to make the change We ask. Our op.
ponents are themselves to blame for
the fact that the demand has not been
sooner granted. For a long time-for
owe eighteen months in the state Of
New York. for instance-every pro.
government has. been demanding q
system of genuine direct primaries.
Wherever we have failed 10 get this
system. such failure .is due to the ac-
ton OF the reactionary whose one aim
Is to prevent the people from control.
ling party organizations to which they
belong, who thoroughly distrust the
people and do not believe in their
rights to rule and now these men, who
have thus prevented the people from
getting. direct primaries. demand that
they be allowed to remain the bene.
ficiaries Of their own wrong and ask to
be excused from granting the demand
for direct primaries because they say
the time to grant that demand in the
past.
There never was q straighter aght
waged for the principle Of popular
rule than we are now waging. We
are fighting against intrenched privi.
lege, both political privilege and imam.
cial privilege. We believe that given
a fair chance the people will declare
against both political and financial
privilege. Therefore we demand that
they be given that fair chance.
But we very emphatically object,
here in this democracy and within tho
confines of the party which claims Alb
raham Lincoln as It's national found.
or. to having the issue decided against
US not by the people. but by the spoils
politicians and patrona8e-mongers
who arc engaged in defrauding the
American people out Of their irst and
most elemental right-the right of
self-government.
Sincerely yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.
Hon. Joseph M. Dixon, Senator Of
the United States. Warrington, D. c.