The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-05-11
HOW PRIMARIES ARE WORKED

The argument for nomination or de-
cision BY primaries is chiefly founded
upon the proposition that the people
themselves will thus do the nominal
ing. and that t'the bosses" will be rel
egated to the rear As we have point
ed out heretofore, however, precisely
the reverse is the case; the bosses are
given more power than ever before
Thus, in the Massachusetts primaries,
the bosses on each side got together
and selected the list of delegates for
the voters TO support at the primaries.
Anv Democrat who refused to vote for
the bos.selected list of Democrats, sim"
plv threw away his vote. The same
was true as to any supporter of Presi
dent Taft or any supporter of Col
Roosevelt. In each case the campaign
managers selected the delegates, and
all the people had 10 do was to vote
for them or he hopelessly left in vot-
ing for delegates whose selection was
made practically impossible as against
the slate ticket
1t is true that in Massachusetts,
number Of protests were made a"ainst
the boss selection of the lists Of dele
gates. One result Of that protest was
that Mr.. Sieberlich, a prominent Re
publican OF Boston who wished to be-
delegate for President Taft, an
nounced his candidacy and got on the
ticket. making nine delegates on all
the Taft tickets where Sieberlich S
name appeared, this being one more
than there was to elect. The report is
that some ten thousand Taft men in
Massachusetts voted this Sieberlich
ticket. TO the injury Of President Taft,
although Mr., Sicberlich was pro
nounced Taft man, since all the ballots
thus east for nine Taft delegates were
thrown out. 1t was this Seberlich
move that gave some delegates at large
10 Col. Roosevelt, since with the ten
thousand Sieberlich votes thrown out,
because they carried nine names for
delegates, when but eight were 10 be
elected, the Roosevelt men got in. AS
the law required them TO be thrown
out. Taft lost these ten thousand votes
for his delegates.
il appears. therefore, that the very
effort Of Taft man TO do away with
the boss selection OF delegates resu,..
ed to Taft 5 injury and to the defeat
OF some of his delegates. and to the
advantage OF Roosevelt, who pretends
such hatred of ''the bosses This
| does not look very much like revolt
bv Roosevelt men against the bosses,
since it was Roosevelt who protited al
together bv the effort of Taft men in
| Boston 10 throw off boss rule
Again, Thomas ". Lawson. the great
stock speculator. boasts that he spent
100000 Ito swing Massachusetts, for
Roosevelt" He spent it largely in
newspaper advertising, and he ap.
peared as vindictive opponent OF
President Taft. Not only so, but he
answers the question az to whether the
Roosevelt men viii bolt the Chicago
convention in case Taft is nominated.
bv the following statement:
II Roosevelt should be tongue tied. and
II IL were the good fortune OF his friends
10 be allowed 20 answer. this is what
itney would say:
The Republican convention viii be IN
lthe lands OF TWO kinds OF delegates. one
Kind appointed b. the bosses the other
CHOSEN oy tho people at their primaries
II ihe majority of tho peoples delegates
those sent 10 the convention bv tho neo.
PIE. DO not want the opportunity OF Not
ing Tor Roosevelt In November, well ana
good IL they do they will get a. n IN
takes evert drop OF blood OF eVcrv
friend OF Roosevelt TO get e for Them,
That IL very plain indication Of
an intention on the part of RooseyeIt
men TO bolt the nomination of the Chi.
caCo convention unless Roosevelt is the
nominee. II is n dishonest proposition
throughout, for tbcse men 90 into that
convepSon with the Interior purposc
of abiding h. IT. decision oui, iu case
I .L.,- ain. IL th,.. L.. 49,.