The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1916-03-02
PRIMARY LAW BEING RAPED

aW is getting raped In many qudI
ters, says the Wadena Pioneer-Jour
nal. Once considered the most pop
ular law on the statute books, toda,
it has lost so many friends that Their
is good reason for the belief tina
substantial amendments may be Sc
cured at the coming session of tn
legislature. The most concrete op
position seems to be forming in Roc
county, where five citizens, none o
them office holders or office seekers
have issued a call for county con
vention, and sent broadcast through
out the county, copies of a circula
in which they ask for cooperation
and give their reasons for wishing t.
amend the primary law. This circu
ar reads as follows:
practical experience has
proven that the primary election
law of this state is a failure.
"Under this law the voters
have been deprived of the right
to select their public servants.
The people have been reduced
from sovereign voters to mere
puppets of an office-seeking
class, because they are permit
ted to vote for only self consti-
tuted office seekers. The vot-
ers are not permitted to select
and draft competent and wor-
thy men of their own choice. 1t
is destructive of republican
form of government. The result
of this law is an increasing
horde of incompetent and I'M
worthy office seekers whom no
one wants in office, while the
better men refuse to join the
disgraceful scramble for office.
To large extent the voters have
been disfranchised.
"The law has not resulted in
the selection of better officers,
but in many cases, of less COM
petent and Worry ones.
at has not given the people
fewer and better laws, but a
mass of crude, unwise, and I'M
workable ones.
at is destroying general inter-
est in the public welfare because
the voters realize that they have
no voice therein.
cit has not reduced the ex-
penses Of state and local govern
ment and lowered taxes, but both
have enormously increased.
"1t has made the holding of a
Legislative office a joke and al
most disgrace, which destroys
confidence in the government
and creates contempt for law.
cit has made it impracticable
for the people to assemble, unite
and organize for much needed
reforms in government.
cit was enacted to destroy the
evils of the old caucus and con-
vention system, but it has foster
ed still greater evil political con-
ditions, and made hypocrites of
office seekers.
cit has brought about political
chaos and confusion among the
voters-a condition most danger
GUS to a republic.
"There seems to be nothing
that can be said in it's favor, af-
ter years of trial, and most of
those who were formerly its de-
tenders are now silent.
"In short, it is a fraud on the
body polite.
"A number of citizens of Rock
county who are not office hold
ers, and who do not expect to be,
have considered the advisability
of holding a nonpartisan mass
convention some time this win
ter, to make an organized de-
mand for the repeal or amend
ment of the law by the next leg
islature.
care you in sympathy with
this movement? If such a meet
ing is held, will you agree to at
tend and represent your election
district? The sentiment against
the law is rapidly growing
throughout the state. We would
like to see Rock county take the
lead and start the ball rolling
We desire your help Viii you
give it,"
The circular was signed by E. I
Garfield, VIM. Jacobson, w. E.
Greene, c. A. Reynolds and A.
Moreaux, all we'll known and r
spected business men of the city
Luverne. The returns show that
rousing meeting is already assured.
Another straw was the vote take
at the recent meeting of the MINI
sofa Editorial association, which
quoted elsewhere in this issue. TT
adoption of this resolution has eau
ed considerable comment. The Mi,
neapolis Tribune complains that tt
resolution was not vigorous enoug
although it might do for a starte
The Tribune says it believes that Il
public had a right to expect som
thing stronger from such a body.
Discussing the same resolution Il
Minneapolis Journal says:
"The association by the adop-