Morris tribune., 1912-04-05
What the Direct Primary Fails to Do.


1t is matter of common knov ledge that large
proportion of American voters Indifferent to public
affairs and content to regard the suffrage as neg
ligble privilege, rather than duty.
How to make the elector conscious of his public
representative character how npsre him to do his part
in municipal State national affairs is problem of
first Importance. The slow operation of general and
civic education the of social consciousness the
better appreciation OF what government do for the
general good development of rational patriotism
all these will contribute inspire and dignity the cleo
orate But these are not enough and their operation
remote and casual Something specific and immed
atey effective needed and that something, it is sub
mtted the constitutional organization of the electorate
organization for public deliberaton organization for
initiative, organization for united action.
Five thousand men scattered field do not form
brigade. Till kind of grouping and coordination
established they are mere neutral mass of human
beings, inert and helpless 1t act only in way
shouted catchword and frenzed leader may convert
that into bowling desperate rabble bent rapine
murder Without organization you have action or
mob action. Take those 5000 men; enroll them in COM
panes group those into regiments and array the reg-
mens together and you have brigade capable of orderly
and regulated action Perhaps better example of the
effect of organization may be drawn from the Catholic
church. which enrolls and coorders its millions of in
dvidual souls throughout the world into system of
ascending jurisdictions How trfng would their influence
be but for organization
Now, our American electors have legitimate organ
zaton form society," have stated times and places
of assembage for consultation united action The
having neglected organize the electorate constu
tonay that elementary requisite of has been
left to private interests and those interests have given
the machine. 1t the machine literal anarchy
Disguised with the machine in its monopoly of initiative
in government of States experimenting with
primary elections But the primary election finds the
electors the isolated sporadic political un-ces
they before 1t has put the machine out of business
but it has organized the electorate and has taken
of them such opportunity for deberation the
convention afforded. 1t has reegated initiative
individual electors.
A conspicuous result is the spectacle of ambitious,
not to presumptuous young paradng themselves
as aspirants for Office And sorry spectacle it is to
edglng lawyers paroing the of Cities hand
ing out cards and photographs and personally begging
electors support them for udgeshps, memberships of
State and national legislatures mayoraties and other
positions. The most undesirable candidate named by a
political convention had certain prestige and dignity be-
ostensbly proposed by assembage of electors
Under the primary system the asprant forced parade
himself 'ofce-seeker Many of the best citizens
will do this and they have their opinion of the less
scrupulous spirits who will The primary election, there
FORE operates discourage of merit and ability who
possess the modesty which accompanies those qualities
from aspiring to Office and exercising the franchise.
From 'The Organization of the Electorate by William
Watts Folwell in the American Review of Reviews fol
D April.