South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-28
SUGGESTION FOR IN
DIANA ON "REFORNHNG PRI-
MARY REFORM"

Win the dppIoatn OF the coming f.
state assembly. during which. if the
democratic party keeps faith with its
platform. it must exact "A statewide
primary law, a suggestion comes from
Michigan that is worthy of notice.
Michigan has had a statewide primary
law as To all county and congressional
officers. the nomination OF United
States senators. and governor and
Lieutenant governor, since 1909. and
law similar 20 the present one in In
diana, only optional with counties,
since 1906. over there too. they have
q primary enrolment preceding each
primary. at which voters enroll, Civ
ing their politics. a minor feature
since II merely limits the voter to the
ticket enrolled for. same as here, save
that we do the enrolling when we ask
for the ticket. Michigan, however.
has learned the same as Indiana has
wherever primaries have been held,
that the people do not always nOmi-
nate the best men for the office; fire.
quently. in fact, turn down the best
candidate and nominate the worst
And the remedy proposed over
there is something new, at least TO US.
IL might not be such "a bad thing eth
er for Indiana TO consider. when its
legislature cores to taking a primary
Law into account. 1t is a pre- primary
convention. 1t is suggested that a con
vention be held previous to each pri-
mary, OF state, congressional, county
or municipal denomination at which,
say, three candidates for nomination
at the primary Will be put up for each
office, the members of the party then
10 go TO the polls and pick their
choice. They call it in Michigan,
reforming primary reform" and re-
ally they seem To have it pretty well
named.
True, it is not as ideal as where all
The candidates come UP TO primary di-
rect from the party ranks and where
the rank ana file turns out and makes
A choice. If only good men dared to
pu. in an appearance, and all voters
were bent on nominating good men,
with regard TO their fitness for office,
the wholesale system of direct pri-
mary could not be beat, whether in
Idealism or practice. but somehow
neither prospective candidates, nor
primary voters. are so particular as all
hat in exercising the free for-au pri-
mary privilege. The pre- primary
convention" is a wedding out process;
hat is all. 1t might have some, and
would no doubt have many, of the
faults of the old nominating cOnvon-
ions but il would still leave the voters
20 choose the least of its evils. while
under the present system the evils
sometimes becomes so numerous and
we'll balanced as 60 admit of no choice
We appreciate that such a sugges-
lion is not going TO be popular with
primary reformers. II is not popular
with lot OF people in Michigan, but
il is the party that gave Michigan such
primary reform as It has had. that is
putting the proposition forward-and
Tor a very substantial reason. Every
tody knows. for instance that Michi-
gan is n strong republican state
strong enough that it held the state
offices, except governor, including
majority in the legislature both two
Years ago and this year. in spite of the
secession OF the prOgressiyes. And on
frequent occasions the republicans
have given Michigan poorer set of
officers than they might have. had
not the democrats turned out and
helped them nominate the unworthi-
est men TO be found on the primary
tallots
The democrats are SO few over there
that the process was easy. They would
caucus in advance and agree upon a
Irst class ticket TO be nominated. Eff
teen per cent OF the democratic vote
cast at the last election would enroll
rs democrats and go 10 the polls. and
vote the slate in. The remaining
eighty-five per cent would enroll as
republicans. and going 10 the primary,
vote for the least worthy of the repub-
lican list This might have been OBJ
Waited 90 an extent had Michigan had
the Indiana proviso in vogue at the
primary; the right 90 require at enroll
ment an affidavit OF having voted a
majority OF that party ticket at the
last elecuon,-yet with that pToviso
here. we know. all Of us. that some
improvements might have ben made
IN both the leading party tickets here
asst fall
And the same. or "a similar condi-
ton, exists everywhere-where there
Is a large and diversified electorate.
Primary reformers may rail against
the pre- primary convention" but
they also rail against the results Of
the primaries. We concede that IL is
not ideal exactly. but 81 looks prac-
teal. in view II the semi-faiIure Of
the ideal 20 prove itself We need the
pre-primary convention" until such
time as the mass OF voters are equal
GO the ideal that the free-for-al pri-
mary system places before them