The Detroit times., 1916-03-31
Presidential Preference
Primary Will Not Cut
Much of a Figure This Year

Primaries win piay s small part IN The choice
OF the next presidential candidates
The bosses are 10 have Tree band TINS TINE
-Four years ago primaries were the bis thing
Presidential primaries were new fhlng anu
there We're enough states having fnfm SO tAat
every body supposed the primary verdict would
decide who would De- the candidate. and hal the
day OF the convention ~ath its back room con
ferences and IT'S political trades was az an emu
THAT was a mistake. for II was In these con.
yentions The primary got iis black eye
In both the Republican and Democratse son
ventions the primary verdict WAS overthr0w7fN
Roosevelt won enough delegates 10 the popu
lar primaries TO have nominated him IN the Re
publican convention
Champ Clark Won enough primary endorse
menis 20 secure a majority vote IN the Demo
cratic convention.
Clark was unable 10 get tvothirds Of the dele
gates and ultimately beaten 10y wilson
while Roosevelt was robbed % MS delegates
and the nomination given lo Tart ~no had a
minority of the primary endorsements
At the beginning OF his administration Presi
dent Wilson announ ,ed 'hat ir WAS has purpose
10 urge on congress ne necessity for g country
wide and uniform national presidential primary
act
This. he believed. would 90 away with eonven-
ton scandals like the one az Chicago and with
apparent unfairness. such AS had taken place
al Baltimore.
II every state had good workable primary
law hy which The people could express their
preference FOR presidential nominee. conventions
WD0ll become subsidiary, plalioFll-inah4nE meet
ings and the rule Of the bosses would De moEe
or less AZ end.
But. on advice Of some southern Democrats.
backed uD by that Of Alice Pomerene senator
from Ohio President Wilson dropped his presi.
Dental primary project with the announcement
that il was probably unconstitutional
This year there VIII be few primaries and a
few Instructed delegates will be- chosen.
President -~iilson IS not planning 20 make a
primary campaign
Roosevelt has declined in every Instance 10
permit the use OF his name on the primary ballot
II he is nominated b. the Republicans IN adj
diti0n 70 the Progressive nomination. il viii be
because The Republican bosses decide that their
only chance for success Is 10 nominate him.
The nomination viii come from the bosses
So faT nine states have chosen delegates to
l72
OF these only "A are instructed delegates
OF these. Kentucky and Indiana with 40 dele
gates, are instructed FOR Fairbanks Minnesota's
"a delegates are instructed for Cummlns. and
North Dakotas 10 delegates are instructed fnr
LaFollette. Delegates from Maine. Kansas New
Hampshire, Missouri and North Carolina are
free 10 vote as they please Beginning April
lold primaries.
,S2t all OF these prs--ary states have preferen.
tial votes 81 presidential candidates but even
IN those that lave tie declared preference is not
expected 20 be o. great significance
The initial BALLOTS Will be rather by way OF
jockeying and occupying time while the biz
business Is developing behind the scenes
u is now pretty evident that the party leaders
are going 20 BE- ready. by convention time 20
run things 10 sGit themselves
Meantime the socialist party. BY a referendum
vote, has nominated rs candidate for president
and has the matter over with.