Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1913-01-14
Letters From the People.
Haines' MESSAGE On the Primary.

ION his message to the legislature
agree With him in the main, although
jthere are few points on which we
ldiffer. | purpose to take up on this
| occasion one Of these points-namely,
the amendm ent of the primary law.
The governor is inclined to think the
convention system is better than the
primary. I differ with him and yet
think the primary unnecessary If that
system could be got rid Of and Its adj
vantages retained, the state would
benefit to the extent of mourning no
{expense for primary election.
I l differ with the governor in regard
to the need of drawing a party line
1 as political parties are at present con-
stituted. BY so doing you prevent
some voters from participating in the
primary election. Many, if not ALL OF
those electors are as intelligent as any
Of those known by party name. They
refuse to affiliate with any party be-
cause they do not make a fetish of
party. but support measures they con-
slider to be for the benefit Of the ma
ton, no matter by what party they
may be brought forward. To compel
such men by law to affiliate with
party Is to perpetrate wrong and do
violence TO a mans conscience
Why not allow any one who has the
legal qualifications for office, and who
thinks he can prove a benefit to the
state or to the nation, to declare his
intention of running for the office for
which he Is best fitted. such intention
being published In the newspapers
Several candidates doubtless would as
pire to the same office. They would
then call meetings in different parts
of the constituency. Each would there
sdeclare in full his creed-the meas
ures which he thinks should be enacted
| into law. These meetings should not
be confined to the members OF any
| one party as at present. These would
mot be Republican nor Democratic rail-
Hes, but meetings OF citiZens-Repub-
iieans, Der4ocrats. Socialists, Prohibi-
! tionists and all the other lists" in the
state that could behave themselves,
gathered to hear the candidates views
on needed legislation. At the conclu-
sion of the address let citizens OF all
eoiors of politics question the candi-
Idate to draw out more fully the views
he has been attempting to expound: let
them question him on any other sub
iject that the electors think should be
/.
l1egislated on
At the close of the meeting a citi-
zen might rise and propose a vote of
no confidence in one candidate If his
views did not seem to suit the senti-
ments of the meeting. II, on the
other hand. his views were acceptable,
a vote of confidence would be passed,
all citizens present having the right to
vote irrespective Of the political Views
that they held.
After holding few meetings and
finding his principles We're not in ac-
cord with the views of the constit-
uency, the candidate would quickly
drop out of the running until in all
probability only two were left running
for that particular office, representing
the views most In favor by the peo-
pie
on day fixed by law at a partlc-
u1ar hour and place let nomination
papers which have been duly filed and
vouched for by well known citizens be
read aloud by the attorney general or
other state officers appointed by law
Within a few days thereafter let the
election be held.
In this way we could have men nom
mated for tile legislature who repre-
sent the peoples opinions and the ex-
pense of the primary election with its
loss of time to the electors is done
away with.
Under the present primary law pub
lie meetings are called by tho various
parties traliies they are called, but
what do they amount to- They have
always seemed to me a clarifying of
tho rncportfva ,,n,tfDe ard thar
forms whether the principles involved
are acceptable to the people or not.
For the most part 1t is blind fetish
worship
There is room for only two or at
most three parties in a nation--a party |
of liberal views seeking TO benefit the
people as whole and party of more
contracted views usually seeking the !
good of a more restricted constituency
of which "self' is very often the CEN
ter. There may be also a labor par
~. though / think that party Is really |
included in the first named. Prohibi-
tienists and Socialists are also liberal |
These two parties might be known |
as Liberal and Conservative. or broad |
and narrow. On the general election |
ballot let the names for the several |
Ii it seems good 10 the state. let the !
names be followed by a letter to In |
dictate the principles (broad or mar
row for which the candidates stand.
To quote the governors message |
though the words were used in a diff
ferent connection: IF you approve the I
suggestion IL may be provided by you |
that all candidates : should be
al Iar |
Of the office, but without party desig- |
nation, and the votes required to Sc
lect therefrom."
In what ! have written I had in
view more particularly candidates for
the legislature. With the adoption, OF
The short ballot the process of voting
would be smplified and the expense OF
he election cut down
j. G. PETRIE
Boise, Jan. 13, 1913