New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1913-09-13
Subscription $1.50 per Annum.
WHY THE STATE SHOULD FL
NANCE THE PRIMARY.

1t has been "A matter OF not
merely common belief but OF
common knowledge and notorlety
in the United States for many
years that the greatest weakness
of its political syscm Is to be
found at the very root OF that
system, in the primary; and to
the reform of the primary has
the best thought of the nation
been directed. Whatever is
wrong in he electoral mechan-
ism of the country has its origin
in the primary. Attacks upon
the political parties, criticism OF
party government, attempts to
overthrow and reform party or
ganizations, have all proved
futile, because while effort has
been concentrated upon recon
struction at the top, the trouble
has been mainly or solely at the
bottom. The nearest approach
the people of the Union have thus
far made to thorough and perm
anent electoral reform is in the
very widespread adoption of the
direct primary plan; but that
falls far short as yet of correct
ing the underlying evil.
If, as reflective thinkers will
readily admit, public office Is a
public trust, then the public
should take the whole matter OF
filing public Office out of private
influence and control. Even un-
der the direct primary system the
people are placing a premium on
political trickery, dishonesty, and
corruption so long as they per-
NIT the employment of private
funds in contests for nomina-
tions. Governor Baldwin OF
Connecticut spoke the truth at
Colorado Springs when he said:
"The government must have Il
right in self-defense so to regu-
late the making of nominations,
whether by party conventions or
primaries, or by direct primaries
of the whole people, as net to
die nte the choice, but to assure
that it fairly represents the
choice of those who make it. "
And admitting the right of the
State to institute system look
ing to the assurance of this
right, Governor Baldwin states
another truth in saving that
"what the State can institute it
can protect. "
It does not, however, observe
the full measure of its RESPONSE
bility at present. Having made
avs intended to uphold the in
tegrity of the ballot, it leaves
these laws to the manipulation
of private individuals or groups
of private individuals, with the
result that the purpose OF the
laws is defeated. In it's charac-
ter of guardian of the rights of
it's people--and nothing short of
this is meant when the State is
recognized as the commonwealth
it should guard these rights
jealously and vigorously, brook
ing no private interference what
ever, but conducting at its own
cost and under it's sole direction.
all primaries and elections with
an eye single to the common veal.
There is no place for halfway
here. 1t is absolutely
due to the whole people that no
part of the people, no faction,
clique, combine Or individual
among the people, shall by the
rse of private wealth or infiu-
pnce, subvert the public will at
he very fountain head of popu-
ar government. Until the State
shall assume undivided and ex-
elusive authority over primaries
md elections, and over all of the
processes, having re
gard only for the freedom and
purity, of the ballot, the people
ian never be assured that their
voices are heard and their fishes
ire recorded at the polls as they
would have Decentralization