Bismarck daily tribune., 1915-12-24
CONVENTIONS VERSUS PRIMARY

CONVENTIONS VERSUS PRIMARY
President Hadley Of Yale, one e.
the keenest thinkers on politica
questions in the United States, in
recent article has contras;ed the ad
vantage of the convention system
over the present loose.jointed prim
ary.
| AS a salient example. he takes the
memorable campaign OF 1860, when
the fate of the Union was in the bal
ance. If the Republican convention
had consulted the wishes Of major
ity of the voters, Seward would have
been it's choice. He had taken an
extreme stand on the subject of slaV
cry. Political leaders, however
knew that ne could not be elected
bcause they had means at hand to
analyze the situation which were IN
accessible to the rank and file of the
voters.
Lincoln became the choice. He
emphasized the preservation of the
Union more than the abolition OF
slavery. He was concerned less with
abstract views on slavery than wit
the preservation of constitutional
government. In other words, Lin
coins views more nearly represented
the second sober thought of the peo'
pie than Stewards. His nomination
disappointed the extremists, who now
through oratory and cajolery are ablt
to dominate the primaries to a great
extent. Lincoln, however, appealed
to the moderate thinkers of all fac
tions and he won at the polls, where
Seward would have been defeated
President Hadley draws the moral:
'"The instance is a typical one. Tn
convention system has been distinctly
favorable to tae nomination Of busi
nesslike candidates for the principal
offices-of candidates unsatisfactory
to some of the extreme elements IL.
their own party and satisfactory to
moderate men in the opposite party
1t has tended to give US men VIII ,
appealed to the country instead of ap
pealing to group. With the substi.
tuition of the primary we are bounc
to lose something Of this advantage.
We are almost certain to see larger
number of candidates who represent
extreme views on either side."
Those who nave followed the oper
alton of the primary law in all its
vagaries can appreciate the truth q
these statements. They go to the
root of tle chief evil of the primary
All honest politicians will admit tina
the timber selected under the Con
vention system is much superior t
that resulting at a primary. There is
no deliberation about primary selec
tions. People deceive themselves in
believing that the system IS respons.
i've to popular will. Nothing could be
farther from the truth. 1t is a hi,
and miss, catch-as.catch-can system.
AS President Hadley points out, the
primary is merely "organized emo.
tion." 1t calls into play the mos
dangerous attributes of democracy
The primary defeats popular VIII
more times than it voices it. Manip
ulation is as easy, If not easier than.
under the old convention system
There is no need of relating the vari
Gus methods here. They are known
to every practical politician.
1t is only question of time when
the voters will realize that they par
ticipate less in the selection of can.
didates than they did uncer the con
vention system.
Party organization, practically
obliterated by the primary, was in
close touch with public sentiment
AS result leaders ran counter to ii
only upon rare occasions, and then de-.
feat rebuked their treachery.