Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-02-08
OPEN FORUM
DIRECT PRIMARY.


Editor Capital News In your issue
OF Saturday. note Senator Rockwell's
resolution in regard to amendment of
the primary law or it's annulment.
"a at adds greatly to the tax burd
ems OF the people," 1t does and I'M
necessarily, and yet I should not like
to see a return to the convention sys-
tenn.
CD No system can be devised that
Will not cost the candidate some mon
eH, though Il system might be adopted
that would quickly reduce the cost OF
the campaign to many candidates by
causing them to drop out of the run
ming when they realized they were not
wanted.
CD This charge, 1T has fostered the
corrupt expenditure OF money to con-
troll the lectorate,'' may be urged
against an. electoral system when
there Is no corrupt practices act to
keep it in check. II remember COR
rectly there was some years ago, a
very great display of corruption in In
diana that could not be attributed to
the primary system. Note also the
acts of Tammany in New York.
"a at has not improved the quail
ity Of public service, even If it has not
caused 1t to deteriorate." There may
be difference of opinion on this point.
but If II is a true charge possibly the
Republican party Is the cause of such
deterioration. Some of us who are af-
filiated with no party have been pre-
vented from voting at the primary be.
cause of an amendment passed by
Republican legislature in 1911 in order
to uphold party government.
90 1T has destroyed party organ
ization and party responsibility for
those who advance themselves as party
candidates" ! for one, should be de.
lighted to see the fetish of party COM
pletely dethroned. hold that measures
that affect the people of the state
should be discussed by the people and
demanded of their candidates.
Until recently 1t has been too much
case of party leaders ESQ called
rightly however SO far as partisan gov
eminent Is concerned) framing plat
form. and the party worshipping at
the opposite shrine working to the
best of its ability to defeat the others
platform, except where the pecuniary
interests of men of both parties were
likely to be attacked.
60 ut prevents the people from Sc
lecting the best qualified officials
through restricting them to "A choice
among those who offer themselves as
candidates"
To certain eytent this is true. 1t
certainly prevents some citizens from
voting at all and prevents all from
making their choice of the best candi-
dates on all tickets.
The following suggestions apply
more particularly to the election of
members of the legislature I'm the
event of the repeal of the primary
law. The ballot ought to be shortened
as far as many of the officials are
concerned and these ought to be Sc |
lected on account of their fitness for /
offioe and not on account of service
to party.
Let any man who thinks himself
qualified to represent constituency
declare his intention of becoming a :
stating shortly what be
stands for. Let him go on the stump
In different parts of the county. ad-
dressing meetings open to citizens of
all political compilations mot Demo-
cratic or Republican rally expanding
his views. Let his audience question
him closely on his address and on any
other matter In which his hearers are
II they are not satisfied
with him as candidate let some one
propose, mr. So and So is not a Fit
and proper person to represent this
II such a motion were
passed at two or three meetings the
would be candidate would drop out of l.