The Alaska daily empire., 1916-07-24

The demand for a promary election law IS one that should be satisfied by the next Territorial Legs iature If practicable direct primary system can be devised that would not be too expensive in its opera lion. the new primary election law should provide for the direct nomination of candidates by che people As long as we continue have che delegate conven- lions ia Alaska there win be complaint They are not satisfactory because they offer many chances for manipulation. And when there there IS not meApui'' tou. they offer the disgrunted-those who are not satisfied with convention results-2n opportunity 10 appeal Co the suspicious of with grounches pes simists and those who like Go think the worst of tbeir fellow men.
 To Illustrate: There was probably never Terri toral delegate convention held in Alaska that was so nearly representative of public sentiment as the Demo cratic convention that was held In Juneau in May While in tha, convention. in all Of the conventions taat ever have been held in the Territory the dele gatcs rom che remote Divisions were mostly repre- scntci by proxies there had been much conterug by tae delegates chosen by the people In their various homes and these had been elected a largely attended primaries in an sections of the Territory Partieu' lary was ,bis true In the Second and Fourth Divs- ions where the delegates held various caueuses be- tween The dates of their election and che Territorial convention. These caucuses got into communication with each other and every effort was made to can yass Che sentiment of the people. So when the proN ies were sen, from the various precincts they were accompanied by minute instructions And those hold ing these proxies guided by their instructions down Go the minutest detail The result was that the ticket selected practically chosen by the Democrats of the Territory.
 No candidate at a direct primary ever got his call 10 lead a party more directly from the members of his party than came the call to Charles Suzer from the body of the Democratic party of Alaska
 The minute q, was wired broadcast Co che newspapers throughout Alaska that Senator Suzer though he had no desire for che nomination. would make the race for Delegate to Congress N the people Of the Territory de- sired it his nomination asslred He was the first choice of nine-tenths ot the Democrats of Alas ka Delegates from each Division Of the Territory without waiting for word from any of the other Di visions elegraphed that the people of their sections were for Sulzer.
 With Senator Suzers nomination assured the nomination of George B. Grigsby for AttorueyGenera was inevitable He had been the Second Divisions candidate for Delegate Go Congress until it became known that Senator Suzer would accept the nomina- ticu then the Second Division for Grigsby for Attoruey.GeueraL He had been the recognized Demo cratic leader of the Second Division since the death Of the late A. J. Daly He known throughout the Territory as an able lawyer good citizen, as a brilliant campaigner and one who popular with his neighbors Therefore. when the Democrats Of Nome asked for support for Grigsby u was im ned.aely acceeded to by the Democrats Of the Third and Fourth Divisions. and the logic of such nomna ton was convincing to those of the First Division
 However. che very lact that good many proxies were concentrated in the hands Of few delegates in tie couvention-which took four days Go confer and discuss the situation Co compare instructions and do it's work iu accordance with its understanding of the de sires of the people of ihe whole Terrtory-has been used by demagogues an argument to convince those who were not informed that the convention results were brought about by machiuations of political ~bosses Those who are most industrious in using the argument" know that they speak falsely but t is no, always SO with those 10 whom they speak-par ,icuarly in cases where there is desire to believe the worst,
 There is not much doubt in the minds Of any in. formed man that the result Of direct Democratic primary in Alaska would have been the same as the result Of the recent Democratic convention but di- rect primary would have closed the mouths Of dema-