American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-01-24

the advantage" to the ring" OF
gang or "the people" come in, ex-
cept as 1t enables demagogues TO
crafty their vanity by getting into
the lime light"
How much would the people of the
county suffer in the way of efficiency
and public service II there should he
a return to the convention system?
Would they secure less capable or
less honorable candidates? Would
they be injured in any way or de-
gree?
There are sixteen precincts in
Power county. In two OF these,
American Falls and tRockland, the
influence of business men might pre-
dominate In selecting delegates to a
convention. Grant that they would
predominant. So far as their inter-
ests in candidates are concerned,
they are identical with those of the
other fourteen precincts-economy,
integrity and efficiency in office. In
a convention the fourteen precincts
would, or could dominate the two,
80 a return to the convention system
would not injure the farming COM
munities. Indifference and lack of
intelligence are the only things that
can inture the public in a political
way, and these operate under both
the convention and primary systems.
The direct primary law Is not all
good nor all bad. And the same iD
true of the convention system.
Neither one will prevent corruption
nor inefficiency. Both must depend
upon an awakened public con-
science and an aroused interest in
public affairs to bring satisfactory
, results. The direct primary law
may satisfy the public, but IL has not
served the public. 1t has been made
, an instrument for iockeying for po-
litical advantage. With one excep-
ton, the primary law has been used
r In Idaho by only n party. The an
didates for other parties have always
8 been selected In caucuses of party
leaders, n the placing of the names
A so selected on the ballot was only
d a matter of form. The party adj
n herents of the candidates so selected
were left free to stay at home or tc
participate In the naming of candi,
L dates on other tickets, sometimes
with good intent, and sometimes fol
VI the purpose of forcing unpopular
q nominees on the opposing ticket, will
IL party advantage the sole aim. Tit
Is last campaign saw every principle o
the direct primary law violated
when an army of misinformed ant
misled voters who professed to hav'
no politics, invaded one of the partie1
with not only new candidates, blu
with a new platform. II the pri
mary law survives II Is to be hope
that a recurrence of this will b
made impossible. Political registra
ton would cure this evil, and compe
every voter to vote his own part
faith or not vote at all. If a vote
wants to be a free lance he has al
opportunity to exercise that priv
lege at the general elections. Blu
because he il a free lance In polite
Is no reason why he should be per
mitted to interfere with the priv
leges and preferences of those VIII
do not agree with him. Politics
Bolshevism is without defense an
should not be legalized.
The greatest weakness of the d
rect primary, in the opinion of man!
is that IL opens the door to the polit
cal mountebank who wins a followin
among the minimizing and unir
formed, by making e~xtravagant prom
Uses and preaching the doctrines {
discomfort. People of this cast an
not restrained by political moralit,
Sincerely does not abide with then
Success is their only aim, and slande
and character assassination the
principal weapon They are as grei
a menace to peace and prosperity q
the most machine-controlled CONVEX
ton that ever existed. A politics
machine can not survive that doe
not have the support OF a majorit
of the people who take enough intel
est In politics to participate, A
agitator knows no moderation or n
%straint, and appeals to selfish IL
stincts and class interests to get
following, His success is at the e,
pense of community harmony an
welfare, and good results follow sue
success so seldom as to be an e.
ception to the rule.
One guess is as good as anoth,
as to what will be done with the pr
mary law. But Il is almost certa.
that IL will not be left like II is. 70,
senator and representative will
glad to hear from you, and to ha'
your opinion. Write them. and do
from a standpoint entirely apart fro
selfishness, with the public goo
your sole aim.