Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-01
OPPOSITION TO PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES

That President Wilson's recommendations for
direct presidential primaries embodied in his
recent message to Congress, will be opposed in
the southern states, is the view of a number Of
mainland newspaper observers. .-...
Both Republican and Democratic leaders are
credited with statements that there will be such
a division among the Democrats in Congress that
no perfected legislation can be secured. before
1916, the time for the next presidential election.
According to Washington dispatch, the
Souths leading dailies and public men, all of the
Democratic faith, unite in saying that direct
presidential primaries will destroy the influence
of the South in the naming of presidential NOM
inees, which, they add, would be unjust, consid
ering tie fact that the South is the seat of the
Democratic partys strength.
Asked how the Influence of the South in the
naming of candidate for the presidency would
be destroyed by the direct primaries southern
politicians reply by saying that it would be
through the inattention of southern voters to
their duties on election day. The total vote of
the eleven states of the solid South, in Noycm-
Der, 1912, was slightly less than the Democratic
vote Of New York stateson that day. Because
there is no political opposition, southern Demo
Gratis have become careless about exercising their
privileges as voters. If Democratic candidate
for the presidency were to be named by direct
vote, it is pointed out, the South would be able
to influence the result very slightly while under
the old convention system with two delegates
from each congressional district, and four dele
gates-aflarge for each state, its influence would
be great
In other words, as a prominent southern SEN
ator expressed It, in the dispatch quoted, the
plan opposed BY the president would absolutely,
so far as picking a candidate for the presidency
is concerned, destroy the influence of the only
sectionsof the country which can always be de-
pended upon to furnish Democratic maiorities.
Under the present convention system, the South
has alleyen chance with the rest of the country,
which is no more than fair This argument may
not apply to the Republicans, for it is realized
that there is no Republican party in the South,
and that delegates in Republican conventions
from that section exert an undue influence But
in Democratic convention it is only fair that
the South should have much to say. This would
not be the case under the direct nomination
plan. Democratic candidates for the presidency
would thus be named, not by the certainly Dem
oeratic states, but BY those states which either
are safely Republicans or close.
It is believed by careful observers that the
Wilson plan Of direct presidential primaries will
not be carried out, there presumably being
enough opposition inside the party to prevent
legislation going through either house at the,
present time
Members Of the appropriation committees of
Congress have estimated that the cost of direct
presidential primaries would be between IS, 0OO.-
600 and 81, 900 900, the federal government using
the election machinery already set up in the sew
eral states; and between 100000 and $15,-
100000 if it has to provide machinery of it's
own. This is,another argument against the leg
islation, although of itself it would not be suf-
fieient to prevent legislation.
To last nights merriment and ;pageantry add
81 few hundred Def cent of snlendor carnival