The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-05


nomination and election of candidates
for local and county offices. and which
OF itself is not an undesirable condi-
ton of affairs. But it is one that
could possibly be encouraged and pro-
NOTED through a different, and per-
haps better primary system
But the continued application of
the present primary methods which
have just about destroyed party poll
tics in local. or county affairs, seems
almost certain to create eventually a
similar situation in respect to state
campaigns and politics. And should
all the states use the Kansas system
or something nearly like it. as many
of them are, it wouldn't be long before
like state of affairs would develop
in national politics.
Thus would come the humiliation
of party rule.
Thereupon follows a goodbye to re-
sponsibility for the conduct of our
federal and state governments.
| So why continue a sham of a pri-
mary system that might work out so
dangerously to the welfare of the
states and the nation; that might de-
stroy party rule entirely and thereby
destroy the only fundamentally
through which the people can place
responsibility for the manner in which
these public affairs are administered.
| Why not limit the direct primary to
local governments and provide the
same sort of a general primary for the
I 49, xi4
mission plan under which Topeka has
been doing business so successfully for
several years, and which sort of
Urinary is so satisfactory not only to
the candidates for municipal offices
but also to the voters?
Make it a free-for-all primary.
Cut out the party labels and align
Ynents in the making of nominations
for county offices. just as they are at
the city commission primaries. and
permit the two candidates with the
largest number of votes for a noinina
ton for a county office to fight it
out at the general election.
This would certainly result in the
selection of county officers who are
acceptable to majority of the voters
of a county, and every man who de-
sired a couaty office, whether he be a
Democrat or Republican or anything
else in the party stripe line. would
have an equal chance at the nominal
tions.
i There would then be no need for
the masQuerading of Democrats as Re-
pub1icans, or vice versa, for few
minutes only on a single day once in
two years.
These suggestions, of course, nat
urally lead to another and logical one
that there must also possibly be q re-
J version from the primary to some sort
Of a party convention system for the
nomination of state and federal can
didates, II the desideraturn of contin-
} uing party rule in state AMI national
affairs is to be made certain, and with
delegates to such conventions chosen
by the voters at large at real party
primaries.
Nor would 1t be necessary to hold
another primary for the purpose of Sc
lecting these delegates to the state and
national conventions.
At the general county primary, sep
arate ballots could be provided on
which would be the names of the
candidates for delegateships to such
conventions. Any voter could run for
this thank you but important political
honor in his own party. Perhaps it
might be necessary for the Democrats
or the Republicans of a small neigh
~ hof ~ hat -
number make the race. But there
probably wouldn't be dearth of can
didates for this honor. They would
file their petitions or their intentions
to run for these delegateships the
same as candidates for offices do, but
without expense.
And the voter at the general county
primary would merely be asked by the
election officials which convention
primary he wished to participate in
The proper separate ballot, Republi-
can, Socialist, Democratic. or any
other. would be given him. and he
: would have the privilege then of vot-
ing for a man or men to represent
: him at his party convention.
A test of party fealty should and
. could easily be provided by having the
: voter state at the general election with
which party he wished to affiliate fol
the ensuing period and until the mex
- primary. He could be so recorded IL
: the poll book, and when he appeared
: at the following primary he coult
only participate in the convention pri
mary of the party that he had pre-
n viously designated. at the preceding
h general election, as the party of hi
10 choice.
N OF course, he could change parties
n at every general election for the pur
IS poses of the next primary, and tina