Morris tribune., 1914-02-06
UNDoING THE PRIMARY BLUNDER

primary election law is failure and club the hands of
privilege seekers thinks that is here to
stay and that must continue to suffer until the
in desperation learn way make of it restoring
the will of the people the governing force in this state
Why, bless your SOUL Bro Morrison if all should accept
your views, childrens children will be wasting their
energies in continuing the fight up against
in their efforts to break the machine that Ed. Smith
has shrewdy contrived 1t can't be done under our
present primary law and the only hope lies in the pos
sbility of amending the law permit the people
through elected representatives, assemble for consultation
and deberaton Since they have tried it, the have
liked the primary law 1t is only those who are
proting by the mistake the people made who canor
ing for its retention 1t is to outspUken papers like
the Tribune help in making the true situation known
and in demanding amendment to the law that will re-
store the people power crush political machine when
it the right to dictate and control public affairs
No better than country newspaper the I'M
fortunate situation the has gotten itself into through
this primary law and there who quick
y undo the mischief than they if they will only take hold
of the problem in earnest. The law it stands would
not last over another legislative session if the country
newspapers would consult their readers and then the
sentiment found to exist
From the of the foregoing, it would appear that
there hope of the blunder made in adopting primary
for officers being corrected If all the country
paper who recognize the serious mistake which was
made will back up the members of the legislature in
turning workable system of making nominations then
something may be done,
The great objection the primary is sometimes
that it allows ambitious politician with few fatter
ing friends to become candidate for state Office.
But this is not the main objection The self-seeking
politician has legal right to be candidate for Office if
he wishes but the primary gives the people oppor
tunity to get rid of him.
The people make a choice between two candi-
dates nearly well by direct primary as by con-
venton system, but they cannot make choice where
the field includes more than two. When the field in
cludes four FIVE candidates there is absolutely no way
for the majority express itself direct primary. If
it possible to hold four FIVE primaries
and each time eliminate the low man. the majority opinion
would finally prevail Of course this is impracticable
The 'second choice" feature of the primary law
devised for accomplishing this elimination. but it don t
work.
After ALL there is way for the majority of party
to rule except lin convention assembled where the rank
and file of the party represented by duly accredited
delegates who counsel with another decide on
a of action which will the approval of the
majority.
Inc convention system mas peen olscredlted because
delegates often elected haphazzard manner They
should be selected formal and legally conducted pri-
airy.
The convention system has also been discredited on
of the trouble which has when delegates
tied hand and foot with instructions Instruc-
tions make convention helpless primary in OBJ
tanning majority rule If the convention system is
restored Instructions should be prohibited by Law.
Instructions are an attempt to graft direct
ment upon representative 1t can't be
A good illustration Of the evil of Instruction.
furnished by the last Republican national convention
If many of the delegates had been tied up with
sructions, the delegates would hayefound way of
mating neither Taft Roosevelt would have
to Hughes or HadIey other good man whom the
majority could unite on and have saved the Republican
party from being split in two it is today.