Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-03-11
COLONEL WRITES
ABOUT PRIMARIES
lcontlnued from FIrst pase.l

fNN%fN"NFM~
not 10 have their choice. Mr.. McKinleys
position was stated with frank cyniclsm
by CONGRESSMAN Campbell on behalf OF
the reactionary elemept In the republican
party, when Ina recent speech In New
Hampshire he is quoted as 'rousing the
greatest enthusiasm by declaring that
the republican party does not believe In
an appeal from the umpire TO the bleach
era'
"Mr. Campbell has simply stated more
frankly the view held Gas Is evident
by AIR. MeKlniey's statemeno generally
among our opponents. Their feeling Is
that politics is a game. that tho people
should simply sit on the bleachers as
spectators aud that no appeal lies 20 the
people from the men who. for their own
profits. are playing the game. II Is as
founding that men should venture 20
take such q position and It shows that
these mep and those for whom they
speak and whom they represented, have
wandered far indeed from the ground
held BY Abraham Lincoln. whom he de-
|riared this 10 ID government dedicated
40 the welfare OF the common people
IND r beasenaged Justly and honorably
- Use Tlain people for their own well
'shre N accordance with the lmmutab,e
'5hws Of Righteousness.
states an Issue. ~
In short the lssue may be stated as
follows:
SHOULD election laws be framed with a
view TO the interests OF politicians or
should election laws be framed with a
view 10 carrying out the popular WIN
I'VE have on the one hand Mr.. Mefin-
ley and Mr.. Campbell and the reaetlonary
element for whom they stand. an element
which has made Il evident that they
prefer to see the republican party ruined
rather than. to SEQ II again what II was
IN the days OF Lincoln. and on the other
band. those who believe that the repub.
lican party can and shall be made now
what II was made under Lineoln-a great
instrument for the achievement OF
Righteousness through the rule Of the
plain people.
Therefore. We demand that states like
Illinois, Michigan, New York, Massa-
chuseits. be given the chance to express
their preference IN presidential primaries
as to whom they wish for president.
The convention system in our party
Was founded on the theory that Il would
represent and not thwart the popular will.
Fwhen. as Is too often now the case,
II Is turned into an instrument to be
used for the direct overthrow OF the
popular will then II Is not representative
but thoroughly and mschieviously mis-
representative OF the party and Of the
people.
Net Too Late for Change.
1T Is idle talk 10 say that 1t Is too
late 10 make the change Wa ask. Our
opponents are themselves to blame for
the fact that the demand has not been
sooner granted. For tIme--for over
eighteen months in the state OF New
FYork for instance-eveTy progressive.
every fr1endu OF really popular govern
ment has been demanding a system OF
genuine primaries. Wherever We have
failed TO get this system. such failure
10 due to the action OF the reactIonary
whose one aim is TO prevent the people
from controlling party organizations
10 which they belong, who thoroughly
disrust the peple and do not believe In
their rights 10 rule and now these men.
who have thus prevented the people
from Getting direct primaries demand
that they be allowed to remain the
beneqcisries Of their own wrong and
ask to be excused from granting the de-
mand for direct primaries now Just be-
cause they have eontemptnously refused
TO grant that demand in the past.
There never was a straighter fight
wased for the principle Of popular rule
than that we are now waging.
IN the people decide against Us. we
will bow eheerfully TO the decision. con-
fident that they viii In the end see thar
the cause for which We fight Is indeed
the cause Of human rights ard human
welfare. But we very emphztically OBJ
ject, here in this democracy and within
the confines OF the party which claims
Abraham Lincoln as its national founder
TO having the issue decided against us
not By the people. but by the spoils
politicians and patronage mongers who
are engaged in defraudlns the American
people out Of their first ard most eie-
mental sight--the right to self govern
fnsnt