The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1919-02-13
The People and the Primary.

/ y .
The primary system Of nomina
tons was an experiment that made
a strong appeal to the people be.
cause it seemed to show a way tc
eliminate the admitted evils OF con
ventions and to place the power Of
nominations in the hands of the
people from whom alone, the power
could be derived, whether used di-
rectly or by, representation. In
pEi..ei.-la it was ad,aairah BILE IN pra G
tice it has proven worse than the
disease it was designed to remedy.
1t was an attempt to apply the the
cries OF absolute democracy i'll a
country far too large for their Sue
cessfu1 operation. The United States
was established as a representative
renublic, and every attempt to aban-
don the principle of representation
has proven the greater virtue and the
greater effectiveness of that system.
The ~eople as whole cannot legis-
late intefigently. because they have
not the knowledge, the time. nor the
inclination to apply the vast number
of questions involving the public
welfare. This is no reflection on
their intelligence or on their knowl-,
edge. 1t applies as surely to the col
lege president as to the huinblest
laborer. Every man is intent, and
must be intent, OF his own affairs.
and as a rule he can give but super
fetal attention to public questions
unless they happen to be matters OF
popular interest. Gov
eminent mast of necessity be con-
Quoted by representation. and SO
conducted it is none~the less the
work of the people.
So it is with the nominations. In
the primaries, except in the case of
a few leading candidates, the voters
east their ballots blindly, having no
means of knowing the actual qualifi-
cations of the men whose names ap-
Dear on the ballot, names that in the
majority of cases are nothing but
James to the voter. Nominations I'M
Ter the primary would be largely a
natter of luck if it we're not for the
,artv bosses. No convention was
yer so easily and so absolutely con-
rolled by the bosses as is the aver
ge primary election. They decide,
sually in secret. upon the candidates
hey will support. and give the word
o their followers. The powers of
heir organization are concentrated
IL the candidates OF their selection.
-hilc the voters not within the range
{ their Influence scatter their bal
Dts with little or no discrimination,
imply because careful discrimina:
ion in the light OF knowledge is not
enerally possible. By the primary
ystem candidates as a rule are not
ominated by the people, nor by
of the people. but by
arty bosses.
BY that, system the office does not
eek the man. The people can rare
go out and choose men who are
,anifestly qualified for office and
lduce them to serve. The man must
eek the job. and in practice the vot..
rs are limited in the expression of
,eir preferences to the men who SO
lanifest their desires The test OF
tness is the candidates own opin-
N of himself. or the bosses opin- I
N of his qualities. In the majority :
cases the people do not know who
re to be candidates until the lists
re published. Every candidate, if
e makes any real effort to secure
re nomination, does so at consider
Bile expense. and if he is successful
securing the nomination he must
lake two campaigns for his office,
ne for nomination and one for cleo :
on. The expense for many offices :
so large that poor men cannot UNI :,
ertake to run. and to all there is !. II
rice to be paid that deters numbers d
no might be specially fitted for OIL y
&c from maxine the attempt. The {
-imary in practice is not American,
Or is it in fact democratic, although "
assumes to be purely so. 1t rests :,
e responsibility for nominations :. y
Don the people, but gives them nc =
fective wav OF controlling them q