Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1919-11-09
SUNDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER . 1919
Be not affronted at a joke. If one
throw salt at thee, thou wilt receive
no harm unless thou art raw.
-Junius.
The Democratic Elimination Scheme

comparatively few. though no doubt influential
leaders of the democratic party have definitely de-
cded to hold convention prevent the fruition or
the hopes and ambitions of supposedly unworthy as
pirants for office; speak, produce political
niscarriages. We do not think it will work Though
this thing is to be attempted the interest of party
harmony we can think of other such fruitful
scheme for increasing inharmony.
The convention would be without any authority
whatever. 1t could command the recognition of no
hody Suspicion would at attach to it that
il was acting in the interest of chosen clique. If
il were official body though not one necessarily
organized under the authority of the party, would
command the respect of perhaps very large pro-
portion Of the party But acting upon nothing but
self constituted authority could be regarded only
butter-in self-elected dictator an evader of the
direct primary law.
We think things would happen in about this way
We will say that there will be four five candidates
for the gubernatorial nomination; many for
the nomination for the office of secretary of state
and so down the list Of offices
The convention small body of private citizens
representing nobody but themselves, in necessarily
star chamber session would select a candidate
each office to be voted for at the primary. The
eliminated candidates would know why they have
been eliminated or how their elimination has been
accomplished They would feel that the convention
lad chosen its candidates because of its personal
frendliness to them and they would justly complain
that the proceedings were not democratic. The old
party convention was least representative.
Then this would happen Every eliminated can
ddate would himself absolved from loyalty to
candidate so chosen. Every eliminated candidate
would have friends EACH probably many friends
each of the chosen candidates. Each eliminated can
daate would resent the selection of the candidate
tts office to which he himself had aspired and his
tsentment svoud against the whole preferred
ticket. He would have it in for the convention and
az its works
o.. 1t is possible, though do think likely
that the convention might so center party strength
upon the preferred ticket to its nomination
the primary But it could do that unless the OPP
position should be divided among several candidates
eliminated at the primary.
But supposing the preferred ticket should be
nominated by pluralties No appeal could be made to
the party loyalty any democrat who might be
dissatisfied with ticket of such an origin
Then, beside the eliminated candidates and their
friends who might be supposed to constitute con-
siderable majority of the democratic party in the
state there always large number Of citizens
disapprove of that indoor and outdoor pastime known
as whipping the devil around stump" and who
would attempt violate the spirit of the
direct primary however much they might desire the
regular and decent interment of the primary.
But if any considerable number of Arizona demo-
Gratis think they promote badly needed harmony
in this way let 'em go to it.