The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-09-09
No Fault of the Primaries.

No Fault Of the Primaries.
Several papers have been pointing
to the large number of candidates
which will appear on the primary
election ballots as one of the bad
features of such a law. They say
that the old convention system was
better in that candidate had to
show some strength before he would
win a nomination whereas now any
man can file and take chance. :
This attitude is wrong, the Pho
neer believes, and does not take into
consideration the progress which has
been made in the mechanics of gov
eminent during the past ten or fif-
teen years. Instead of looking back
ward to the old convention system,
the bondage of which the voters of
Minnesota have just escaped, citizens
should be looking forward to and
working for the time when national
politics will not be allowed to in
trude on state, county and city cleo
lions.
Unbiased students of American
government are agreed that one of
tbs worst evils with which progress
sive citizens have to deal is that of
party politics in small political d.
visions. Party leaders are able to
build up strong machines by holding
up the fetish of party solidarity to
the view of the voters. BY lining
up a certain class of men which vote
the same ticket and vote it straight
year after year, these bosses are able
to control elections.
The national parties have no con-
cern with local issues. Their ques-
lions are those of the nation at large.
One party may please a large. num-
Der of voters in national issues and
yet be entirely out of harmony in
state politics. It may please in state
politics, but in municipal affairs be
impossible. In fact, the situation
that confronts the voters of Mime
sofa this year is somewhat of this
nature.
The passing of the convention
system in Minnesota did away with
state party assemblies in which def
mite lines were laid down on which
the campaign was to be based. AS
consequence, six men are running
for the Republican nomination for
governor and no two are running on
the same platform. There are two
running for the Democratic nomina-
ton and the Socialists, Socialist La
Dor and Prohibition parties each have
enc candidate, making eleven candi-
dates for one office. This is not the
fault of the primaries but of the
idea men have that each party must
be represented on the ballot.
In city elections, the new idea is
gaining Roadway and each year sees
more men running as Independents
and without party designations, no
matter how they may stand in ma
tional affairs. Instead of going back
to the old convention system with
it's many possibilities of dirty poll
tics, the voters of Minnesota should
work forward to the time when
there will lbe no party stamp on any
man running for state, county or
city office.
Then each man will be running on
his own merits; then the bosses will
be- unable to use the party whip;
then the common people will not
have extraneous issues thrown at
them in order that the vital ones may
be concealed and forgotten; and then
the men who vote the minority tick
ct will not be disfranchised. The
convention system is past. Let it be-
come memory. But blame the fet-
ish of party loyalty rather than the
primary system for the large num-
Der of candidates this year.