The Washington times., 1913-12-03
THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY.

How completely President Wilson dominates his
party is delightfully."- shown in the reception given to
his proposition for Presidential primaries under Fed
erai law. Thus far, legislative proposals for that
sort of thing have come from men in other than the
Democratic party. Senators Norris and Cumnins, at
least have introduced such measures Colonel Roose-
welt has favored the plan. But getting over on the
Democratic side nobody has been interested There
was not ghost of chance of any such proposition
getting through Democratic Congress, or even get
ting serious consideration there
Then the President came forward, utterly un-
expected to urge the Presidential primary How
striking and complete the change! The comment of
the very first hours following the message indicates
that it is just good certain that Presidential
primary will be established before 1916
The last great nominating convention has been
held. 1t is just we'll to set that down as settled
The Times said, time and again, during the 1912
campaign, that the nominating convention could not
survive, as an Institution, the experiences of that
year. The Republican convention succeeded in be-
trayng the party, and the Democratic convention had
the narrowest sort of escape from doing the same
thing That campaign marked the collapse of old
methods and old organizations in political manage
ment.
Presidential primaries will produce an effect so
wde-reaching that few may now venture to guess it.
The great clmactc operation of the political organ
izaton is nominating President Everything is pyra-
mided upward to that tremendous consummation to
the pregnant hour when organization from the voter
the precinct up to the assembled leadership Of a
national party determines the candidate and the
policy in a national campaign. Everything else in
political organization appends, to large extent,
from the great national significance of President
nominating. State organizations would survive, in
deed; but they would mean less would arouse minor
interest would be unable to make the appeal that is
now theirs
But it is very plain that national Presidential
primary law would in fact bring in its train and very
quickly, State primary laws we'll. We shall have
the universal primary within very short time after
Presidential measure is passed, because it will be
found practical mpossibiIity to conduct one cam
paign through primary and another through the old
caucls-andconvention plan, the two running side by
side, at the time. That is so manifestly i'm
possible that there need be no argument about the
outcome. A Federal primary act for Federal elec
tions State primary law in every State very
soon practically in all of them in time for the 1916
campaign
There will be protest against the Federal Gov
debating the lines upon which primary egis-
laton shall run; but it will be ineffective. Broadly
speaking the State laws will have to be made to
harmonic with the national law; and il is right that
they should. The President has outlined pretty
clearly the open primary plan that is in vogue in
Wisconsin. Wisconsin invented the plan of having
the people make the nominations, and then turning
over the legislative and executive candidates the
business of making the platform on which they shall
run The President adopts this for his own Like
Theodore Roosevelt Mir. Wilson has no compunctons
about adopting good thing without regard to the
source whence it comes. He will now presently line
UP his Democratic following for his plan and with
the aid of the Republicans and Progressives who have
long been fer sucr legislation, will pass it. 1t will
mark the beginnings of real political revolution; :;
revolution that will put machinery down and public
opinion up.
The measures of social legislation, such as en-
ployers' liability, which tine President favors will the
more surely win result of the breaking down of
party machinery and the substitution of popular
purposes.