Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-01-30
PEOPLES PULPIT
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Editor Courier.
F, Dear Sir:
I wish through your columns tc
criticise Governor Harding's views as
expressed in his inaugural address
relative to the primary election law
| While l am in full accord with the
sentiment expressed on the other sub
jects therein. l am very much disap
pointed with the view he expressed
pertaining to the primary law. which
has been thoroughly tested, and has
proven such colossal failure that
the least observing have discovered
its baneful results.
I would like to ask Governor Hard
ing If he favors the primary law, from
the we'll known fact that 1t makes ii
easy for machine politics" to manipu
late the nominations. The governor
says, "By it (the primary the unit
for the expression of public opinion
has been reduced from the mass meet
ing to the individual" But who Is the
] individual? Under the primary law
| it is Of necessity the individual who
wants the office, with a good chance
(if the office is worth it, for the
political machine to dictate his
chances. It is a we'll known fact that
the primary law DISTINGUISHES. pri
marily, every voter in the state as to
who shall be the candidate for the
several offices to be filled. But is
decided by the self appointed poll
tician, who by fair or unfair means
places his name on the ballot. and
then the voter is asked to go to the
poles and take his choice out or this
self appointed bunch Of office seek
ers When as matter of fact, he has
not, and could not. know ten per cent
Of the whole list; which not infre.
quently results in the selection of
very inferior individuals as candi'
dates, which is very disgusting, and
detrimental to the public.
have asked great many or the
best Informed men in the state If
they individually ever cast an en-
tirely intelligent ballot at the primary
election, and have failed to find one
who claimed he had ever been able
to do so. In order to cast an intelli-
gent ballot, the voter would have to
individually know each self appointed
aspirant on the ballot, in order TO
select the one best fitted for that par
ticular office; and | do not believe
that even the governor. has ever cast
an intelligent primary ballot.
The governor claims that the re-
peal of the primary law. would indi.
cate a distrust in the populace; when
the exact reverse is true. The popu-
lace is tired of being primarily dis
franchised by the professional poll
tician. For under the primary law he
has no choice as to who the candl'
dates at the primary election shall be.
and as the office. are finally filled
from that squad of self appointed can.
didates, it follows; in the final
analysis. that the populace has been
entirely disfranchised. Now, my dear
governor. in your most beautiful ana
most poetical phraseology. you paint
in glowing terms; OF the polltlcal
heads inability to know who their re-
deemer is. It is well known fact.
that in the great rural districts 81
Iowa. that the great mass have be-
come SO disguised with the farce OF
selecting their choice from among the
self appointed professional politicians
that they largely stay at home and
plow corn, leaving the selection to the
more congested centers, thus very
naturally simplifying the manlpula'
ton of the results by the designing
political machine. ] was surprised at
the governors reference to the fathers
Of our republic. as they thought only
of purely representative govern
ment; wherein, the people were rep
Nf
ton from the precinct caucus, to the
finally elected officer; who repre-
sented them in whatever capacity they
selected him for. And now. Mr.. Gov
ernor. the final best evidence is ESQ
far as the rural districts are con.
cerned) that ninety-nine per cent OF
the voters consider 1t menace. as II
usurps their right to select primarily
those who they prefer to represent
them and costs very large amount
of money for no other reason than
that the Tory (office seeker( is afraid
to trust the populace. unfettered. Tor
fear that they would fail to select
them for their official representatives,
Now. Brother Voters. let us get busy
and petition our legislature for an I'M
conditional repeal Of the primary law
by which the political bosses select
themselves, and after they are nomi'
mated, the platform is formulated
which they are in no way obligated to
regard. if it does not suit them, and
Tins save the enormous expense,
necessary in having superfluous
election, which does no good but on
the contrary, is an open invitation 10
the scalawag. to force himseif INTO
office, in spite Of us.
J. Fl. r. Spilman.
CONSERVING the Trees Along the Beau
tiful Des Moines River.
Editor Courier:
Perhaps it might be possible to inter-
est the Hawkeye club of Chicago OF
which Frank q. Lowden, governor elect
is a member. in our beautiful Des