The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-07-11
NON. PARTISAN LEAGUE AND THE
DIRECT PRIMARY.

The Miner has never been enamor-
ed with the direct primary law and
has frequently pointed out its objec-
lions to It. But 1t is law nevertheless
and that Is sufficient reason for all
tood citizens to insist upon its strict
observance. 1t is recalled that this
beatific law was written into the stat
utes chiefly through the efforts of the
| fe rmers Of Idaho upon the specious
plea that under the old system Of
nominating candidates the people had
been denied the right to rule and that
| this boosted American privilege would
be happily restored under the direct
primary The stock argument was
that under it's watchful provisions the
political machine would be discarded
as useless the political boss would be
out of a Job, and combinations to con-
troll nominations would be impossible
But like all institutions Of human
origin, experience has proven that the
direct primary has its deficiencies
which permit political manipulation
hardly less fragrant than that which
prevailed under the convention sys-
TEN. But it has remained for the far
mers themselves who forced the direct
primary upon the state to become
parties to a conspiracy to violate its
plain provisions on scale that puts
to shame the most brazen political
boss of former days. The Non Parti-
san league, an organization of farm
ers avowedly for the purpose of con-
certed political action, and which
claims to have enough votes in the
state to control the election, held a
convention in Boise on July and A.
the chief purpose of which was to
nominate a ticket for state offices to
be supported by the league in the
coming primary. The ticket nominal
ed was selected in secret caucus and
then passed up to the convention fol
formal ratification. Was there ever q
convention under the old regime in
which a political machine adopted
more high handed methods? To hole
convention to nominate primary
candidates is violation of the spirit
, Of the primary. while to hand-picl
them in star-chamber session is a re.
vival of machine politics in it's wors
, form.
The ticket nominated is made up o
r republicans, democrats, socialists ant
I Others of uncertain political utilization
{ but all but about three who are Ger
tain to be nominated in the republi
d can primary, are to be filed as demo
Gratis and their names are to appea
Y on the democratic primary ticket, tn
I selection of the democratic primar,
I being explained in the fact that the,
: expect fewer votes in the democrati
4 primary and it will therefore be cas-
= Ter to control. In other words, thes
t high minded reformers propose t
4 steal the democratic primary for tn
purpose of nominating their candi
A dates who are not democrats. Thei
candidate for governor, H. f. Samuels
has run the gamut of all political par
I ties, his last pose up to a few week
0 ago being a republican. Their candi
T date for congress in the northern dis
trict, L. |. Purcell is publisher o
e what purports to be a republican
newspaper and he participated in tn
4 SOuNeHlioI at boisc wv
r weeks ago. without regard to politi
cal conviction. the candidates will b.
, filed as democrats and the Non Part
q san league figures on having enough
votes to put them over. And all thi
T under the sacred direct primary which
( was designed to give the people tn
q right to rule and for which we are in
q debted to these same farmers ant
= who, through the men who contro
their organization, have constructed
, machine in the operation of whicl
[ old political machine methods appeal
crude and altogether decent by com
1 parison.
, 1T remains to be seen whether ou
) democratic friends will permit thu
[ contamination of this fraud,
Sixty four million silver dollars hav,
Pa