Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-06-18
THEO. ROOSEVELT, New York

advisory to the national convention
delegates from that district, and the
vote Of the state at large is advisory
to the delegates at large. Petitions for
candidates must bear no fewer than
1900 names.
A National Primary Proposed.
An objectiOn frequently made to the
state presidential primary is that 1t
forces the unit rule upon the delegates
and nullideS the instruction OF the com.
munities which elected the delegates
who are 10 the minority This Objec
ton has been NET by the proposition
that, instead of state primaries to ex
press a preference for presidential
nominee, national presidential pli-
maries should be held Senator Cum.
Minis this spring introduced bill to
that effect, which failed to excite much
enthusiasm IN the senate. 1t proposed
a national primary to be held on July
y and every four years thereafter on
the second Monday of July. The re
suits Of such a primary election would
be canvassed by national board for
primary elections" and the candidate
Of each political party receiving the
greatest number Of votes would be Ger.
titled by that board as the candidate
to be voted upon In the November eIec
tions.
The bill would require primary elec
tions OF candidates for president. vice
president and presidential electors. The
names Of candidates on primary bal
lots under the bill would be arranged
In separate columns with one column
headed independent of party"
If 1t were passed the Cummlns bill
would mean the end of the national
conventions Of the great parties More
than that, 1t would probably mean
the abolition OF the electoral college
and Of the possibility Of the election
Of a presidential candidate who has ac-
tually received smaller popular vote
than his unsuccessful opponent
Among the objections urged against
the new primary system is It's failure,
as its opponents allege, to bring a large
proportion Of the voters to the polls
The vote in North Dakota was small,
and that in New York. which had
primary characterized by Colonel
Roosevelt as "a criminal farce" was
much smaller comparatively. In I'LL
nois and Pennsylvania, however, the
general interest displayed and the size
Of the vote polled were such as to give
little color to this objection.
An Unprecedented Spectacle.
II 1t has done nothing else the FIRST
trial OF the presidential primary has
furnished the people Of the United
States new experience. Never before
have president and an ex-presldent
"stumped" the country In a contest for
delegates, After trips to Massachu-
sets and Maine In the interests Of his
candidacy Colonel Roosevelt visited
Illinois on the eve Of the primary elec.
tion and reaped the reward OF his dill
gence in the overwhelming victory in
the Prairie State which gave his can.
didacy It's tirst decided impetus Then
came the upheaval In Pennsylvania, to
which he had given some personal at
tentlon, though not so much as to lii.
nois AS the date Of the Massachusetts
primaries approached, both the colonel
and the president decided that an i'm
portant Job Of fence mendlng called
them to the Bay State. and they con.
Quoted their repairing operations
strangely enough, as Il appeared to the
onlookers-with hammer and tongs
The result was so little decisive (many
of the Massachusetts, voters. BY the
way, being apparently unequal to the
task Of casting their ballots according
to their real preferences that both
contestants decided to continue their
iOlnt debate at long range. lactlSs- In