The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1916-09-07
Law and PRECEDENT.

ion throughout the state on the subjec
OF whose duty it is 10 select the chair
man and other officers Of the Republ
can State Committee. There does no
seem to be any real occasion Tor sucE
misunderstanding and any real justif
cation for misiniormination. The Law
could not be palmer or more precise
in its terms on this subject.
Section $3.50 Of the new Missouri
primary election law, after stating how
the election OF members Of county com
miltees, district committees and the
state committee shall be effected, pro-
vides specifically as follows with refer
ence 10 the organization Of the state
committee.
Which State Committee, being
composed Of two members from each
congressional district in the State, shall
meet at noon on the fourth Tuesday
August at some poiut in the State
10 de designated By the then State
Committee and organize by the elect
ion Of a chairman who shall be chair
man Of the state committee, and by
the election Of a Secretlry and treaSur-
er and alter having so organized, shall
meet with the party nominees for state
Offices, Congressman, State Senators,
Representatives, and forthwith iormul'
ate stale platform for their party, and
make public the same not later than s
O'Clock in the afternoon on the follow.
ing day."
This places the responsibility for the
plrty organic alton where it belongs, in
the hand Of the Republican electors
and their chosen representatives. 1t
r cognizss the fact that, above every
thing else and everybody else the rank
and f,e Of the party are interested in
Republican success and in the Iormat-
ion of campaign organization that
will further that success in the broadest
sense. 1t is the party's organization,
owing no obligations except to the
party.
1t has been claimed that a preced
ent has been established TO allow the
candidate for governor to name the
chairman Of the committee. Up to
1874, the Republican State convent.
ions selected the chairman, jlst as
they selected the candidates, by ballot
Of the delegates, and no candidate was
consulted. In 1904 when selection
By the committee itself became a rule
Thomas S. Neidringhaus was chosen at
the suggestion Of Walter S. Dickey.
The candidate for governor was not
consulted. In 1908 Mr.. Dickey him.
self was selected against the opposition
Of Otto Stiiel and leptha Howe. Mr..
Hadley was not consulted. Ia 1912
John c. Mckinley, the candidate for
governor, wanted Charles D. Morris,
but the activity OF Otto Stiiel, E. L.
Morse and Jeptha Howe resulted in
the selection Of Polite Elvins. Since
that time, the United States Senator,
formerly chosen by the legislature, has
been candidate before the people
and the candidate for this office, BY
reasons Of its organized importance, is
now at the head Of the ticket. II the
preference Of the candidates is to be
taken into account, therefore, his GER
tainly should be considered.
The preference Of candidates on the
ticket should, OF course, have weight
and consideration il these candidates
agree but il they don't and cannot get
together, it is no reflection Of discount
esy 10 any Of them if the committee
proceeds to perform the duty imposed
upon by the statute.
That is precisely what it did at JeHer-
erson City and is the only thing it
could consistently have done.