Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1916-01-14
Presidential Primaries.

While there is always something more
Or less confusing regarding elections.
Years ago we used to hold an election
separately for this or for that, but to-
day they are combined into one cleo
ton. First we had the Australian sys-
tenn but now in most cities we have the
voting machine.
Up until now the number of dele
gates from state to the national con-
vention was decided by the national
committee of each party. But the ma
tional committeeman will be named by
the voters now instead of the conven-
lions naming them. Vice presidential
candidates will also be voted on at the
primaries.
At this election, also, another inno-
walton will 60 into force. The voters
will name their national delegates and
also national committeeman. Here
tofore delegates from districts went to
state convention which in turn named
q national delegate to the national con-
vention direct.
The method of representation by the
delegates is another subject for the
voters to decide upon. The republicans
have always had the delegate vote as
his district instructed. The democratic
delegates voted as the state instructed.
The legislature attended to decide which
was the proper way, but gave it up and
decided to let the people express their
opinion on the matter. So at the pri-
mary in April the people will vote on
whether the delegates elected to the
national convention will vote as the
people of the district instruct them to
or as the majority of the people of the
state instruct them to. In other words,
whether the Iowa delegations at the re-
publican and democratic conventions
will vote solid or individually.
Anyone wishing to run for national
delegate, district delegate or national
committeeman, or the alternate of any
Of these three must file a nomination
paper with the secretary of state at
least thirty days before the date of the
primary in order to get his name on the
ballot.
Whether the delegates SO elected
must vote at the national conventions
- instructed or not is q question that
has not been definitely settled. In some
states where the presidential primary
has been in force for some time that
question has arisen as the result OF
delegates switching from the candi-
date whom they were instructed to sup
port to another. In some cases fav-
orite son is the choice of the voters of
one party of state and at the conven-
ton that favorite son does not have q
chance. Then the question arises as to
whether or not the delegates from that
state may not participate in the actual
selection of the candidate by switching
to another candidate.
Iowa is one Of the eighteen states
that have presidential primaries. The
others are California, Illinois, Indiana,
Maryland, Massachusetts,, Michigan,
Nebraska, New Jersey, New York,
Oregon, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsyl-
vania, South Dakota, West Virginia,
Wisconsin and Minnesota. Alabama
and Vermont are expected to adopt the
primary in time to name delegates to
the 1916 conventions. Advocates of the
primary are working hard to secure its
adoption in still other states. The re-
suit will be that more than one-half of
the delegates that take part in the 1916
convention will have been chosen at
primaries. -Tobe's Weekly.
Hardly Praiseworthy Program.
The Republicans have already start
Il L.: ~ <.,r,1 n$