El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-26
Defends Primary System
And Says It Would Pre-
vent Corruption.

WIN ~S%@ - y O@SAs
Washington, D. c., March Ex-senator
Borah of Idaho, one Of the Progressive"
Republican leaders of the senate, speak
ing in that body today charged both OF
the great political parties with utter
failure in their campaigns to give to
the people clear and distinct issues, as
of old. lie cOntrasted present issues
with those discussed by Lincoln and
Douglass.
eve awake each morning to a satuTna-
liza of personal drivel, to chickering's and
Quarrelings which have all the flavor
of discussions carried on in the political
GROCERIES, of the lowest dives in the
most rotten districts of our great cities,
said senator BOrah.\ zone week our great
dailies are teeming with the difference
between Wilson and Harvey, the next
week with what Coll Roosevelt said to
some personal friend in Oyster Bay, the
next week how the president failed to
appreciate the worth of some Rough
Rider and thereby changed the current
OF history.
IF we could know the whitening con-
tempt and bitter scorn which the earnest
and industrious people of this country
really have for this cowardly abandon
ment of the great issues, for this be-
trayal Of the destinies of a great party,
some heroic effort would certainly be
made to get away from the most shame
less and disgraceIul contention that ever
embarrassed a great cause Turn back
and read the great debates of Lincoln
and Douglass when those intellectual
giants fought for supremacy-sc
a personal allusion from beginning TO end.
They were leaders worthy Of great par
ties and they held the confidence OF men
as few men have done"
Senator Borah said that both parties
are drifting. He declared that the po-
Htieal party viii win which gives to
the people the clear and definite policy
in its platform in the next campaign and
puts upon the platform a man whose
character Is a guarantee that the pledge
viii be kept. 1t is immateTlal, he said,
under what name OF under what banner
the announcement IS made
Defends Primary System
Senator BOrah was speaking IN de-
fence of the primary system which had
been assailed bv many senators IN their
discussion of the Investigation OF the
case of senator Stephenson of Wisconsin,
Defending the primary system, he said
no one ever cOntended it would make all
candidates decent and all men honest.
'You had Just as well declaim against
the whole moral law Of Sinai and the
statutes which define and punish crime,
because after 1000 years, nOtWithstanG-
ing the statutes, men still commit
crimes he said.
Corruption cannot live under the pri-
mary system" said senator BOrah, IF
men have the courage, as they will have,
to punish those who stand exposed. A
u II
rupt practice act viii make it impossible
to control our elections BY the use Of
money. Senator Stephenson could have
put a million into caucus and brought
his purchased parchment OF election
here and the chances would have been
one in 10000 that it would ever have
been known. But he put in $4,000 and
even without a corrupt practice act, and
with an attempt to destroy original
memoranda, the exposure is neverthe-
less complete and the only thing now
left to be determined is the judgment OF
the senate.
Money as a Qualification.
It was argued by senator Borah that
if a rich man has no qualifications Tor
office other than his money it will cost
him money to run. But il the candidate
represents some question OF great mo-
ment, the senator said, IF ne deals in
ideas and issues, instead of patronage
and checks, he viii win over all the
money you can put into the fight. One
of the very things for which hold sena-
tor Stephenson responsible in this cam
paign is that he entered the race with
his bank account for his platform"
Senator BOrah denied that primaries
have disOrganized parties. He con
demned the old caucus system in politics
and pronounced it the most vicious,
treacher0us, subtle, venal influence" ever
operated to the detriment of the people.
Parties come and 60, live and de-
a message and they 90 when they cease
to have message 1ney live so long
as they offer to the voters a concrete
and constructive plan with which to
deal with human interests and human
welfsre-they die when abandoning all
principle and all policies they fall into
a contest over position and power and
engage alone in the personal rows of
ambitious leaders
Sends Potash Message.
President Taft today sent to congress
a message urging the immediate enact
ment of a law to protect from private
entry and exploitation fields of potash
such as recently were discovered in
southern California
Submits Cotton Report.
President Taft today transmitted to
congress the tariff boards report on the
cotton schedule with the recommenda-
tion that section of the tariff law be
taken up with view to revision and
reductions in the rates Of duty
The president advises congress that
the boards Investigations have shown
that the duties on some collections "a
two and three times in excess of the
difference of cost of production in the
United States and abroad The duties i'm
posed because of finishing processes are
in excess of the difference in the extra
cost due to finishing and are often in
excess Of the total domestic cost of fin
ishing.
Prices paid by consumers in the United