The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-20
THE PRESIDENT IN BOSTON.

President Taft had strenuous time
indeed, in Boston, and that he wa
able to arouse enthusiasm in the Mas
sachusctts Legislature while DISCUSSING
the issues of the day is immensely &C
his credit, for those legislators are no,
apt TO be enthusiastic about anything
In this connection it may be noted that
the invitation TO address the Msssa.
chusetts Legislature was extended to
president Taft without any solicitation
on his part, "A contrast with the Roosc.
welt address to the same body, which
he solicited the opportunity TO deliver.
The President discussed before the
Legislature the proposition for prefer,
ential primaries for the Presidency
and for primaries in general, and he
very justly said that such primary
rs absolutely useless and may easily be
perverted to the expression of some.
thing entirely different from the peo-
pie 5 will, unless the primary is fully
protected by law and its procedure
| regulated by statute. For il is evi-
dent that any loose methods in the CON
duct of primary may easily vitiate
the whole purpose of holding it. It
Is, in fact, practically impossible to
have primary law which will be truly
representative of the will of the
party which is selecting its candidate.
The difficulty is TO coniine the voting
in the selection of candidates to
members of the party which is sup
posed TO be selecting them Ii il is
Republican primary, it is next TO
impossible to prevent Democrats vot-
ing, Just as it is next to impossible to
prevent Republicans voting at Demo
cratic primaries Those in charge of the
polls may challenge the vote, but If the
voter declares that it is his purpose 10
support the candidate put in nomina
TN, it is impossible to refuse his vote,
and i the one offering TO vote is a
DemocINt trying TO vote at Republi
can primary, or a Republican trying 10
vote al a Democratic primary, the
declaration he makes cannot in any
way be enforced against him in case
he changes his mind before election
day, or is disgusted because the can
didates that he voted Tor were not put |
in nomination.
That is the great difficulty in the
whole matter Of primaries; the voting
at them cannot be confined to the
party which is making the nomi minations,
for the very evident reason that the
liberty of voter to change his mind
between the primary and the cleo
lions, on the other hand, and caucuses
10 select delegates thereto, 1T is al
ways known in the nelghborhood who
S a Republican and who is Demo
rat, a1d there is little chance of the
opposition party controlling IL caucus
II convention, or debating 4 nomi
Iation.
President Taft, however, in all this,
while yielding to the popular current
which seems to be running strongly in
avor of primaries, puts in q word of
and caution, and Justly de-
hands that the primary shall be safe
.uarded to every practicable extent,
To delegation from the Massa-
husetts Peace Society, President Taft
aid that he did not intend TO give up
he fight for arbitration treaties with
treat Britain and France. When Sec
etary Knox returns from Central
america, he says, the fight will be re-
umed for arbitration, and he trusted
hat an acceptable plan would be
,orked out.
To the Charitable Irish Society he
poke words Of commendation and 4
heer.
To the Bank Officers Association he
ave good financial advice.
To the Boston Paper Trade Assocla- d
ION he referred regretfully to the de-
eat of the reciprocity agreement with
anada. !
To the Yale Club of Boston he spoke 4
yords of comradery and good will.
There is no mistaking the fact that
he popularity of President Taft is ,
astly on the increase. His star In 4
renses in brilliance as the star OF
roosevelt dims, and that this is so is
Il the better for the country. ,
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