The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-11-22
PRIMARY LAW.

That another effort, more deter
mined than ever, to secure radical
changes in the Minnesota primary
law will be made at the coming ses-
sion of the Legislature, is regarded
as certain, says the st. Paul Dispatch.
Republicans and Democrats are
agreed that it should be made i'm
possible for an organization like the
Nonpartisan league, to step in and
steal the organization of another
party. This may be accomplished by
the enactment of a new law, stating
definitely what constitutes political
party 1t is everywhere recognized
that, as a matter of fact, the Non
partisan league is as much political
party as the organization maintained
by the Republicans or the Democrats.
Yet, under the pretense that the
league is merely an organization of
farmers, it's management was able to
file complete ticket at the primaries
under the Republican banner, and
succeeded in nominating and elect
ing one of it's candidates. Had it
succeeded in nominating a majority
of the candidates, it would have cap
tured the Republican organization in
Minnesota, as it has captured that of
North Dakota, for the law provides
that the nominees shall name the
state central committee under which
the party throughout the state is or
gonized. An attempt will be made
at the coming session to see that or
CARNATIONS like the Nonpartisan
league stand on their own feet here
after
Notwithstanding the ill-luck which
followed the Democratic party and
it's candidates in Minnesota, after the
convention of last March, many OF
the Democratic leaders as well as
those of the Republican party insist
that the state should return to the
party convention, closely regulated
by law. The election of delegates
to such convention at wide-oper
primary, is generally favored. Some
advocate a repeal of the primary
law in it's entirety, but these are not
many and their chance of success is
small.
An attempt to change the primary
law in any way means hard fight
This has been proven time and time
again during the past sessions. The
members of he Legislature are them
selves elected under the law, anc
therefore they are prone to regard il
as all right in the main. Each indi
vidual may regard the law as faulty
in some particulars, but as whole
the members are not inclined tt
agree regarding its faults, so it il
next to impossible to win majorit!
over to any amendment.
One thing was demonstrated at tht
ldSC ScSSlOI VI IuC LCSloldGulS Gin
that was that no law could be passed
making a convention nomination
final. The strongest advocates O.
the convention system insisted tina
the rights of others to file in op
position to the convention nominees
should not be abridged, and there i
no indication now that these mel
have changed their minds. Thi
means that a convention nomination
would amount to nothing more thai
an Endorsement, which might or
might not be an advantage to tn
conventions choice.
There is nothing in the primar
law at present which prevents tn
holding of party convention, an
the Democrats have made prae
tice of holding one every two years
!. The Nonpartisan league also select
ed its candidates at an alleged cor
vention, which consisted of littl
bunch of less than fifty delegate
, carefully hand-picked and instructe
. in advance. On the other hand, ther
J is nothing in the law which give
its nominees any legal standing {
} advantage over other candidates WI
7 file Independently. The conventio
Endorsement is not indicated on tt
ballot. Each of the volunteer col