The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-10-13
THE BIG LIST OF NAMES.

election in this city on Tuesday, Octo-
Der 2lst. There has been no concen'
tration, either by political nomination
or by citizens selection, or by any sort
of open assemblage, Of any candidate,
although 1t is generally understood
that the Federal bunch has made its
selections and will quietly work for
the nominations of its chosen ones. The
primary will undoubtedly offer fair
field for ''the bunch' to carry its
( ticket. by secret manipulation
1t has been The Tribune's idea all
along that there should be some means
of concentrating the vote upon good
men, this not by way of political nom
nations, but by way of common con
sent, impartially and in bipartisan
way of choice by citizens meeting or
in assemblages Of some sort. There is
even yet time to bring this about. and
to present to the voters of the city in
some concise and concentrated form a
ticket that would be the choice Of the
majority Of the voters at the primary.
AS it is now, secret methods and in
fluences will be invited by the profu-
sion of candidates and the lack Of con
centration through any open means or
on any individuals by way of recon-
mending them to the voters OF the
city. 1t is, understood that the Federal
ring here has made it's selections and
will quietly canvass its adhcrents for
their votes in favor of the choice of
the machine.
This makes the situation even worse,
for though an open vote for a large
number OF candidates would be fair
enough in a way for all, it would be
unfair to the city as a whole, for a
small coterie could easily get together
and put in nomination and force upon
the ticket names Of individuals who
are by no means The choice of rea-
form of concentrated vote is evidently
necessary if satisfactory results are to
be had at the primary.
There are two City Commissioners to
be elected. and there are twenty-six
names to be put before the primary
for these two positions. Allowing that
$4,000 votes may be polled at the pri-
mary. and that the votes may be ap-
proximately evenly divided among the
twenty-six names, it is clear case that
two individuals receiving 600 votes
each might receive the nomination; for
the $4,000 votes would afford an aver
age of 500 each to the twenty-six, so
that those who receive a few votes in
excess of 500 might be nominated, and
might be the very ones least wanted.
This is not to express any opinion that
the votes would ,be thus evenly di
vided, but only to show the posslbili
ties that might occur in this sort Of
free-for-all primary scrimmage. But a
nomination by six or seven hundred
voters out Of total cast of $4,000
would be ridiculous sort of a pri-
mary.
Even worse is presented in the mat
ter Of City Auditor, where only one is
to be elected and there are eleven can
didates to 90 before the primary. Here
again the nomination by but n very
SiIldll lG'llOi VI IIC lOldl NolC 10
quite possible, provided there were any
thing like an even distribution Of the
votes among the eleven candidates. This
is open to the gravest objections, and
the people are liable to be defrauded
by occult, underhand methods, secretly
set on foot and secretly pursued.
The situation is an extremely awk
ward one in its present phase, and un-
less the voters get together in their
citizenship capacity and move for the
concentration Of votes on desirable
candidates, there is liable to be an up
roar after the result Of the primary is
known that will give a bad back"set to
this whole proposition of commission
government and primary elections.
We urge, therefore, that some non
partisan movement should be started
to sift out the best names from the
large list of candidates, so that there
may be a concentration Of votes that
will offer to the primary an opportunl
ty for the best possible selections, and
for nominations that will have the pres
tige of a strong, satisfactory vote be-
hind them.