Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-11-20
rBy Ora williams.J

Des Moines, Nov 29-Some needless
noise has been made here over an al
legged discovery" of defects and weak
nesses in the presidential preference
primary law of Iowa. The effort has
been to show that a terrible blunder
has been made that will cause trouble.
chiefly because delegates to county and
state conventions are selected for the
April primary as for the June. Nothing
new has been discovered. The law has
now been on the books nearly three
years. Doubt not that 1t has received
consideration in every line. That the
law is far from perfect is well known.
That it ought to have been amended
was known to many persons during the
last session. But there were good rea-
sons for wing 1t alone. The fact is
that ever since the organization OF
present political parties we have had
two sets OF conventions each presi-
Dental year, and We have never got
very badly muddled. One year when
Iowa wanted to be forehanded in max
ing known 10 the world that presiden-
tial possibilities might come from Iowa
environment state convention was
held in February or March to start
things off. But at the opening of the
last session of the legislature the cleo
tons committees had their attention
called to the defects in the presiden-
tial primary law, and these were care
fully considered. There was desire
that the date might be moved up for
the presidential primary as well as
making later date for the nominal
ing primary. 1t was recognized that
the law ought to be more specific as
to the holding of the earlier conven-
tions. But it was recognized that the
last legislature was not made up right
for trying seriously to improve a pri-
mary law. After repeated conferences
it was decided that for once the friends
of the presidential primary should
stand pat. The law will not work out
very badly unless by reason of the de-
sire of somebody to make 1t failure.
Perhaps the weakest spot of the pri-
mary law is the provision that a pref
erence may De expressed for vice
president as well as for president. This
was q blunder in the law. Vice presi-
dents are not selected that way. AS
the game of politics is played now the
running mates" will be selected to
supplement the head of the ticket and
with special reference to some sort OF
distribution of favors. Obviously the
voters Of Iowa will not be prepared
| next April to make intelligent decision
as to who ought to go on any presi-
Dental ticket after the candidate for
president has been nominated. The
situation in the republican party today
shows the weakness Of the vice presi-
! Dental end Of the primary. Undoubt-
eddy Iowa republicans will declare by
overwhelming vote for Cummins for
president. The delegation will be UNI
der instructions. But it would be q
political mistake to also instruct the
delegation as to q candidate for vice
president. Yet few persons might
have placed on the ballot the name OF
a candidate for vice president and thus
complicate matters much. However,
after this phase was discussed last
winter the conclusion was reached that
the danger was imaginary-that any
such move would be recognized at once
! as In bad faith and solely to embarass