Evening journal., 1914-01-30
FRIDAY. JAN. 80. 1914.
PLEDGED TO DIRECT PRIMARIES.

- EdOCRATIC BOSSES little and big, in Kent county,
~ seem to bo afraid direct primaries for nominat
ing purposes IL may be that they fear they will not
be able to manipulate such primaries in the past
they have been able to manipulate the county conyen-
tons Such a result Of the extension to that county
OF the New Castle county primary system would be ex-
ceedngly distressing most of those local bosses and
bossets.
The Democratic County Committee of Kent met in
Dover on Wednesday The meeting called that the
committee might decide whether to the direct prm
airy or the old county convention method IN making the
nominations this year. News dispatches from Dover
state that some Of the the committee made
contention that here in New Castle county the di
rect primary system operates favor the Republi
and against the Democrats The upshot of It all
was that final action taken by the committee.
Instead a committee Of five members was appointed
inquire into the subject Of primaries with nsruc
to report back March 10 and to edyise whether
the old county convention method should be continued
OF direct primaries substituted therefor.
It is difficult to see upon what ground the asser-
ton was made by members of the Democratic County
Committee of Kent that the direct primary method in
this county favors the Republicans and initiates
against the Democrats. Both parties in New Castle
county hold their primaries under the law Each
party has its day for holding primaries and they
held uncer the party rules. Both parties cannot
make their nominations the day. The Repuhli-
have nothing do with the Democratic primaries
and the Democrats have nothing do with the Repub
ican primaries. In what way. then the direct
primary method be advantageous to the Republicans
and disadvantageous to the Democrats? Il will be
difficult for those Kent county committeeman give
a satisfactory answer to that question
certain Democratic declarations In refer
rnce to primaries it also is difficult see how
the Democratic committee in Kent can AFFORD to reject
them and adhere to the old and boss-rdden convention
method We need 90 tack no farther than the Balu-
convention to find an emphatic declaration in
favor Of primaries In the platform there adopted
Is the following.
The movement toward more popular government
should be promoted through Legislation in each state
which viii permit the expression Of the preference OF
the electors for national candidates at Presidential
primaries. We direct that the national committee in
corporate in the call for the nominating convef
ton requirement that ar expressions OF preference
FOR Presidential candidates shall be given and the Sc
lection Of delegates and alternates made through pri
mary election conducted by the party organization in
each State where such expression and election are not
provided for by State law Committeeman who are
hereafter to constitute the membership Of the Demo-
cratic national committee whose election Is not
provided for by law shall be chosen each State at
such primary elections and the service authority
Of the committeeman however chosen shall begin i'm
mediately upon the receipt their credentials respec
lively"
That is certainly national Democratic endorsement
Of the direct primary principle But we do not have to
stop at that In the platform adopted by the Democratic
state Convention September H. 1912 we find the fol-
owing ecaration:
I'VE savor the nomination by direct Of all candi-
dates for Office in State counties and districts where
his can be done without surrendering to anyone dy-
sion the control Of such nominations for State Office
II seems to us that in the Of Democratic national
and State declarations in favor of direct primaries and
of the further fact that the Democratic House passed
the bill extending to Kent Sussex counties the d
rect primary system Of New Castle county IL will be
dicult for the Kent County Democratic Committee to
reject orect primaries and adhere to the old
method Were it to do so. 1t would stultlfy itself in
the public mind.