The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-08
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES.

Better plans may be devised for
bringing about uniformity and effec-
tiveness in the matter of presidential
primaries than the proposed federal
legislation which has been suggested
by Representative Norris of Nebraska.
But some steps along this line would
surely seem to be a necessity If such
primaries are to be the order of the
day in the future. States rights en-
thusiasts will be sure to object to any
thing that, savors of federal legislation
in this particular. They will argue that
in the matter of primaries and the con-
duct of elections the power of states
should be supreme. And under ordi-
nary circumstances such arguments are
not without strength. But it will be at
tempting the impossible to get the
states together in matter of this char
acter. Most of them have peculiar
ideas of their own as to what forms
their primaries shah take. However,
presidential primary is of concern to
the entire nation, and it does seem that
it is proper subject for federal legis-
1ation.
Certainly the conditions. which de-
veloped in most of the states where
plans were tried out recently for the
first time. were rather intolerable.
Through peculiar kinks in most of
these primary laws the expressed will
OF a majority of the voters of some of
The states was thwarted. This hap
Dened in both the Democratic and Re
publican primaries, and to the advant-
age or disadvantage OF the candidates
OF each of these parties who were con-
testing with each other for the state
delegations. For instance, Mr.. Taft re-
ceived the popular vote in the Massa-
chusetts primary, while the double
back action of the Massachusetts law
made it possible for Colonel Roosevelt
to get the delegates-at-large from this
state. So, too, in Ohio, Mr. Roosevelt
received the popular vote, but under a
popularity of the Ohio primary law 1t
was possible for the Taft forces to
elect majority of the delegates to the
state convention, which thereby gave
Mr.. Taft the delegates at-large from
his home state. The outcome Of the
Democratic primary in Massachusetts
was even more ridiculous. Governor
Foss of that state, did not enter the
primary lists as a presidential candi-
date. Champ Clark won the popular
vote there with Mr.. Wilson second. And
yet delegates were chosen for the Bal
timore convention who were pledged to
support Governor Foss. whose name did
net appear at all on the primary ballot,
and they so voted for Foss during the
long and wearisome struggle at the
Democratic national convention. There
were several other equally indefensible
hobbies in the primary results in other
states.
And they have demonstrated en-
phatically the need of uniform presi-
Dental primary law for all the states,
If it is deemed wise that this plan be
adopted,-a law that will be clear ana
concise and one which will permit the
voters to register their choice among
the presidential candidates in an I'M
mistakable fashion. An essential neces-
sity in this particular is that the presi-
Dental primaries shall be held In each
of the states on the same day Then a
voter will be enabled to speak his mind
without any reference as to what any
of his friends may have done in another
state.