The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-09-03
PRIMARY PROVES ITS OWN
WEAKNESS,

We'll as interest III politics IN general,
that the people do not want il for they
refuse to utilize t along the lime which
is it's strongest feature and should pop
ularize it If there Is any saving grace
In it; II Is expensive, cumbersome and
impractical We give herewith an ed
itoral from the Lewiston Tribune writ
ten just prior the primary now closed,
which Is something of Il forecast Of
what is now demonstrated fact. 1t
says:
The third general primary election
In the state of Idaho win lie held on
Tuesday, for tie purpose OF making
party nominations fer the various
state and county offices and for fed
eral representatives. Much confusion
and dissatisfaction having resulted Ia
the past. the process has now been
changed In three essential features
voters are no longer allowed a private
choice as to the ticket they prefer TO
vote in the primary but must make
public and prior declaration of alegi
ance to certain party before being
given printed ballot of that party;
second choice is no longer mandatory
but optional, and the judicial candi-
dates are all printed on the ballots of
longer confined to single party In
making nominations for the bench
Other minor changes, such as setting
IA later date for holding the primary,
have been made These changes are
perhaps an improvement on the first
system, and still they leave much cause
for complaint. The more serious causes
of complaint, however. stu remain, be-
cause they are inherent to the method
The fundamental and obvious vice of
the system Is that there is no way by
which the masses Of the people can
be directed or guided in the confusion
OF many voices and conflicting aims
and interests. There Is no way of as
surfing or causing the result to be
achieved which 1t Is the general desire
to be achieved. For example, IL Is the
general desire of the state to elect one
congressman and one member of the
supreme court. saying nothing of a SEN
ator and other officials, from north Ida
no. burt 1t Is extremely doubtful whether
this will be done. The reason Is that
the southern Idaho voter. az a rule
does not conceive 1t to be his duty to
vote for some northern man, whom he
never heard of before, perhaps when
there is some one whom he knows
and wishes to honor in his own section.
He leaves 1t to the others to do the
large thing, while he Is satisfied to do
the kindly thing. OF course, north Ida
no men may be nominated, and again
they may not be- There Is simply no
means of crystallizing divided.
sectional and selfish public sentiment
into organized and agreed channels and
the result is always conjectural, even
when 1t happens to work out right
1t Is important that the distinctive
north Idaho resorces and interests
should have informed treatment In the
state governmental boards and in the
national legislature. in which the aues-
ton Of what individuals win or lose
the offices is of negligible consequence
beside the large policies involved, but
that vital consideration has little or no
weight compared with the personal in
terests or prejudices of the voting
masses.
The primary has an inevitable tend
ency to enervate and pervert the
course of government. hypothetical
case may help to elucidate that pro-
cess. The state board OF equalizatio
has been engaged for some time in
the annual task of reconciline the
values imposed by counties and by
classes on the states assessable prop
critics. Some important and difficult
contentious have arisen In which
certain large county is accused of I'M
dervaluine Its agriculture lands. and
certain other counties of overvaluing
some classes OF property. No deci-
sions have yet been rendered and the
probability ia none will be until after
..x.l.x M Nil.
information upon which to assert that
this equalization Is being delayed UNI
til after the primary. and does not
even know that II will be, but as a
matter of opinion we think that is the
purpose. That. at least, Is the wa
the policy works. 1t works against en-
lightened and courageous public service
and toward evasive. tricky and unre-
liable public service. II is case In
which principle of popular government
to an extreme produces the reverse of
what 1t was expected to do.
Senator Ben Tilman is the father
of the direct primary In his part OF the
country, and is now serving his last
term In public life. In valedictory
declaring his retirment, II death does
not call him sooner, he says that. as
he contemplates the apparent popularity
Of Governor Blease. he wonders II he
We're wise in giving the people the
ballot and teaching them how to use
it, Tillman. who has been foremost
opponent of compulsory education, In
common with general southern opinion,
further declares that, as he contem-
plates the rise and popularity of Gov
ernor Blease. he is for compulsory edu-
cation. In other words this shining
champion of the direct primary finds.
In effect. that his own creation works
In the interests OF ignorance. confu-
sion and turpitnde, and against the
interests he conceived il would pro-
mote. This testimony Is by no means
decisive. but 1t is simply contributory
TO the mass of testimony coming out as
to the weakness and inefficacy OF the
direct primary in actual operation, when
applied over a wide scope of country.
where there is a great diversity of opin-
Ion and of interest, and in which merit
and fitness art secondary considerat-
Ions. even when those qualities are