The Washington times., 1917-07-16
ERENDUM
ONCE GAINED
RECOGNITION
BY PRESIDENT.
Advocates of District Primary.
Hope He Will Regard Action
on 1910 New Jersey Senator
ship as Precedent.
By BILL PRICE.

Woodrow Wilson seven years ago
recognized the selection of a prefer
entail primary, and, against the
yells of the politicians of both parties
and the protests of thousands of sin
cere men, made that selection Sen
ator of the United States.
Mr.. Wilson's action in that case
may become of vital significance as
bearing upon the preferential pri-
mary now being arranged by the
Federation of Citizens Associations
of the District. Anyhow every man
and woman interested in the ap-
preaching primary, whether regard
ing it seriously or not, will sit up
and take [Sice when the history of
James MARITIME, Democratic Senator
from New Jersey, is recalled, and the
story of how Woodrow Wilson kept
his faith with the people, putting
MARITIME, an obscure man, in the au-
gust United States Senate, is an
alyzed.
The Politicians Fooled.
The agitation for a primary, part
OF q countrywide movement to clear
the politicians of the earth, reached
the height Of its strength in New Jer-
--sey in 1909 and 1910, but earnest men
feared 1t would amount to nothing in
boss-ridden New Jersey. The big
politicians OF both parties put up a
scheme to pass a preferential primary
law in the State legislature for United
States Senator, but to utterly ignore
the choice OF the primary wnen the
legislature came TO the selection Of
q Senator. That was when the poll
tcians expected to get in their work.
They passed word down the line to
the party workers to take no part in
the primary, As It would amount TO
nothing.
The primary was held in 1910. That
was the year when Woodrow Wilson
became the Democratic nominee for
governor and surprised the politicians
by being elected chief executive OF
the State, later resulting in his nom
ination and election as President
Jim" MARITIME took the Senatorial
primary seriously, and campaigned
the State. The politicians smiled
broadly. They were sure that MARITIME
was wasting Lis time and that they
knew what they were about Hadn't
they framed the primary law so that
1t was simply a sop to the people,
and bogus so far as they were con-
oerned2
HJIm5 Smiths Error.
MARITIME talked and talked every
where. He was then and is now some
talker. There were less than $4,000
votes polled in the primary, no more
than some OF the ardent suffrage ad-
vocates here believe will be polIed
for District Commissioner. MARITIME
got a big majority.
Former United States Senator Jim"
Smith was then the political boss Of
the Democrats Of New Jersey. He had
helped to make Wilson governor, and
he had no idea Mr.. Wilson would be
thoughtless enough to have Views Of
his own on the Senatorship.
The legislature met early IN 1911,
Wilson becoming governor the same
winter. Smith and the Democratic
politicians generally told Governor
Wilson that the primary had been a
farce and that the Democratic leg
"OAAN pay ~ dNASAAAOA ~
Jim" Marines Endorsement. by a
handful OF voters. Wilson listened.
He also listened to Joseph P Tu-
multy and many other Democrats
who were tired Of bossism and who
urged him to recognize the primary
selection and thus encourage the fight
to make effective the rule OF the peo-
pie. Governor Wilson broke the
hearts OF the politicians by declar-
ing that he would stand by MARITIME.
He knew little OF MARITIME and cared
less, but he did believe that the peo-
pie OF the State, freed from political
rule, would favor primaries in their
best form. "Jim" Smith then turned
on Governor Wilson and used his
best efforts TO cause the legislature
to ignore MARITIME. Wilson fought
tooth and nail, and induced the leg
islature to take his view. He cared
nothing for the cry that the primary
was not representative. The fact that