The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-02-19
THE PRIMARY IN DANGER.

tuC NAuS1A SohopJ Va "A
stealthy movement to kill the d.
rect primary. A very old game
in politics is to put things over
while the attention of the public
is diverted to great purpose or
issue.
A warning Of this scheme is
conveyed in the published views
Of Job Hedges, one of the old-time
Republican machinists who sees
nothing in politics but game.
Workers like Job, have been rest
less and cherries ever since the
people decided to take a hand in
the choice Of candidates, as well
as of officials. The situation, he
thinks, suggests an opportunc
time for knocking out reform
that was realized only after long
and trying struggle to rid both
parties Of machine rule.
Hedge says the difficulties at
Washington result from the de-
cadence of party government.
"Public opinion" he observes, is
best made affirmative through
party organization, platforms,
campaigns, where the ideas of
opposing parties are brought into
competition, in seeking the APP
proval of the electorate. Both
parties have largely destroyed the
former meaning of the word and
the creation of public opinion is
rendered ineffective in the direct
primary"
I'm q convention. or through the
convention system, neither OF
which is perfect any more than
human nature is perfect, the people
have the best opportunity for max
ing opinion, establishing respon
sibility, and rewarding or punish
ing their representatives, accord
ing as they have carried out the
mission for which they were elect
ed. / think the pressing funda
mental need of the country at this
time is the repeal of the direct
PRIMARY id"c uiu tiiC icctoAosASh Va
the convention system"
OF course, Mr.. Hedges does not
discuss the causes that brought
about the direct primary. He does
not tell us that the system was
changed because it was found
that conventions, especially state
and national, We're controlled by
hired agents of the big interests.
Perhaps a very striking instance
OF that was The Republican ma
tional convention at Chicago in
1912.
We are we'll aware of certain
serious flaws in the direct pri-
mary law, but nothing could be
so bad as return to the old sys-
tenn, as Mr.. Hedges would have it.
The striking weakness, as we
see it, in the present law is the
opportunity presented for a
crooked candidate to win in an
election when the decent voters
are divided in their support of
several worthy candidates. We
remember, for instance, few
years back in Chicago where
there were four candidates on the
Republican ticket for states at
torney. One of them was a cheap,
grating shyster lawyer. The
others included the occupant OF
the office who had an excellent
record. The voting strength Of
the honest Republicans was di-
vided between three Of the can
didates. The support of the forces
of evil, or the grafters of all kinds
from the piekpockets to high fl
nance on La Sale street, went
solidly to the crooked candidate
and he was easily nominated. He
was elected because he was run
ming in a presidential year when
the Republican ticket carried
everything with it. He became a
crook in office, as he had been be-
fore, and left an administration
most disgraceful and uncom-
pleted before he committed sui
eide.
That same situation might
easily arise in any community.
We have thought sometimes that
the law might be changed so as
to provide county conventions for
the naming of county candidates.
The ineffectiyeness of the direct
primary applies mostly to the
choice of candidates in commu-
mites where local jealousies and
prejudices are so prevalent as to
blind the people to the important
matter Of choosing men best
qualified. Those objections do
not prevail in the choice of can
didates on state and national tick
ofS To Sl1hStifp}a tho old cyStem