Omaha daily bee., 1914-07-20
CONDEMNATION FOR PRIMARY
Criticism Of Measure Heard on
Every Hand
FILINGS REVEAL IT FARCE
Many say They Favor Its Amend
mcnt SO Cannot he Used Rs
Means Of Personal Ad-
vertisinE.
lFrnn a Staff Cnrrespondent.

From staff Correspondent
LINCOLN. July s.-(Special)-The day
for filings has passed and the people OF
Nebraska have a fun opportunity to see
what huge joke their primary law is de-
veloping into. Condemnation OF It's work
ings is heard on every hand and its eN-
istence hinges upon whether members OF
the next session OF the legislature will
have the nerve to abolish 1t entirely or
modify Il to meet the situation.
Several budding politicians and some
who have been in bloom for a good whilg
are strong in their statements that "
elected to the next session they propose
t. introduce some sort OF a bill which
will change the law so that the ticket
cannot be encumbered with lot OF can
didates who take this method OF adver-
Using themselves at the expense Of the
people
plan Much Favored.
plan which seems to meet with con-
siderable favor is one 60 abolish the
primary as far as the nomination Of can
didates for state, congressional and dis
trict offices is concerned and go back TO
The old convention system, except that
delegates to state, congressional and dis
trIct conventions shall be elected by
county primaries, doing away with the
old Objectionable precinct caucus, where
most OF the jobs we're put up. Advocates
OF this plan say that when the legislature
killed off the pass system they removed
the needs Of q statewide primary and the
adoption OF the pass legislation was really
the instrument which put the railroads
out Of polltics
They now point to the fact that under
the present primary law the poor man
who might aspire TO a state office is prac-
ticsliy disfranchised. for on account Of
the expense of making a primary cam
paign with its newspaper advertising, it's
automobile trips to meet the voters and
other expenses, that the man WITH the
money has the advantage over the man
who cannot afford 20 make an expensive
campaign.
Better Chance for Poor Man.
They point TO the convention plan as
giving the poor better chance. or at
least more equal chance. for he can
meet the delegates personally at the con-
Nention and they have a chance to size
him up and compare him with the man
who has the money. They also advocate
the partial abolition OF the primary be-
cause the average citizen when he goes
20 the polls knows little about the quail
fications OF candidate and is just as
likely 60 vote for the wrong man as he Is
for the right one unless he knows what
he is doing.
Just how Intelligent q vote a man can
east az the coming primary the following
win show:
For governor the republican voter will
have to select ono Of six or more candl-
dates. while the democrat will have to
make a selection from four.
4 For llSttenant EoYerncr republican
must make a selection from four candi-
dates ana the democrat from three.
For state superintendent selection
must be made from four each.
For railway commissioner the republl-
cans have 10 select one out OF five and
the democrats one out OF four.
In the First congressional district re-
pubiicans will have 10 wrestie with the
problem OF selecting from eight eandi-
dates.
ON Five Tickets.
The foregoing situation 10 bad enough.
but Il becomes far worse when the law
allows a candidate from one party &c file
as the candidate OF another party whom
ever he can find t. enty-five voters who
win sign his petition. The huge joke OF
the present primary law cannot be better
shown than In the instance OF one candi-
date for congress in the Fifth district
who has filed for the nomination for con-
gress on five different tickets. and in
each instance making oath that he affil-
iates with that party.
In the First congressional district
candidate for nomination for congress
on one ticket reawntiy deserted the party
which had elected him 10 a state office
he is at the present time filling. yet a
petition has been filed with the secretary
Of state for the purpose of making him
the candidate OF the party he deserted
because he had no further uao fop 40