The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1912-09-05
ATTORNEY M'DOUGALL GIVES VIEWS
ON STATE PRIMARY ELECTION LAW

mOnStrateS that only 1874 per cent @
the people ruled so far as the nomina
:. ton of the successful candidates
concerned. and S6.6 per cent Of tn
voice of the people has not been hear
or needed
In state like ours where the peopl
T of one extremity scarcely ever come il
icontact with tn people Of the other ex
ltremity and where they have very lit
tie In common, the ability Of the PEG
Iple. If they all turned out at the pri
maries to select the best material fol
the offices would be doubtful for the
= reason that the northern candidates
3 lare unknown In the south and vice
Versa. Therefore the people Of each
; community vote heavily for the candi-
Idate whom they know. This has been
demonstrated In the vote, not only In
the north but In the southwest and
southeast. This naturally gives a
great advantage to the more populat-
, led sections of the state where the
heaviest vote is cast and results as in
1.-THE primary just closed In the nomin-
Iation Of practically the entire republic
can state ticket from one county in
the state. The state administration
Ishould be balanced geographically for
the state government is almost en-
|tirely in the hands of boards composed
|of the various elective officers which
|should, therefore, be geographically
distributed SO that all sections of the
Estate would be represented on the
boards. Under the convention system
this is always a first consideration.
Under the direct primary system, 1t is
not even factor.
| The diretc primary has demonstrate
ed, not only in this state but in others,
that it fosters and brings out vast
horde of officeseekers from whom the
people choose their candidates. The
first convention that the writer ever
attended In the state Of Idaho a man
whose nomination was proposed for
probate judge made speech to the
convention, the burden Of which was
that he was not an office seeker and
that he believed that the office should
seek the man." but that the convention
knew where he lived and that he was
always at home. The old and very
laudable idea that prevailed for many
years in this country that better re-
suits were obtained in the manage
ment of public offices when the office
sought the man and not the man the |
office has been entirely extinguished.
| have before me a newspaper of |
this state where in one county one en-
tire page Is covered with announce |
ments of citizens who respectfully So
licit the votes of the people in their
county for different positions. Ten of
them are candidates for sheriff and al
most an equal number of other posi-
tions
Since the primary a number of the
defeated candidates have announced
that they will be candidates for the
same position two years from now:
While others are now seeking a nomin-
alton as Independent candidates; and
others who were active in the cam
paign, either as candidates or mana,
gers of candidates, but whose leader
snip the people declined to follow are
represented to be active in encourag-
Ing or advising the management of
who are seeking to defeat
The party nominees upon the party te
which short time ago they owed Their
allegiance, demonstrating that many
people who became candidates for a
,arty nomination have no real part,
Utilization and when their Leadership
declined do not hesitate to denounce
ne results of the direct primary mucf
more frequently and more bitterly than
hey had ever denounced the work OF
he convention.
II has been demonstrated that the
ost of the direct primary has equallet
nat OF the general election, thus
oubling public expense upon the tax. !,
aver so far as the election of the of,
GERS is concerned; while the expens,
the candidate particularly where :,
here is more than one candidate TO,
ne same position has almost become :,
rohibitive and 1t is generally conced. =,
4 that the direct primary is not
COR mans game.
There Is yet to my mind a create,
vi growing out of the direct primary
nd that Is the profound silence of the ~
aiding men of the state as to the fit
ass or qualifications Of candidate
r public office. Where there are sew "
al candidates for the same office the "
'opie who have the right to rely upon %
g leaders for an expression of opin q
n. are unable to obtain 1t even pri.
.tely. Occasionally some one can be ue
und to knock" candidate who Is ~
rticularly Objectionable to him. but y"
body outside Of the newspapers can IN
found to boost" candidate and -he
remarkable similarity Of the not III
IS OF candidates published In the var iel
IS newspapers Of the state would 1el
"a one to suspect that the article was
ltten by the candidate himself, and Au
$ not even the expression Of the tui
lnion OF the editor Of the paper 1t is no
tain that some candidates have 10
aiihcations which excel above others SEES
j these are known or should be
own to the leading men of the state
0 from disnterested point of view
'uld give their information 10 the "a
IL H., L..A n