The sun., 1919-02-24
PRIMARY ABOLITION
URGED BY CLUBMEN
Uuion League Committee Rec.
ommends Return to State
Conventions,

4 report recommending the restora-
ton of the State convention for the
nomination OF elective State officers has
been prepared by the committee on po-
litical reform OF the Union League Club
and distributed among the members
The report which Is signed by william
u. Guthrie. chairman OF the committee.
and Martin L. Slower and J. Van Vech-
ten Olcott. urges support for the Walton
Fearon bill now pending before the
Legislature and which provides for the
abolition OF the direct primary system of
nominations and a return to the con-
vention.
The interest In the direct primary that
existed In 1914, the first year OF Its OPP
Grafton. the report says. has not been
, maintained. Figures are given to show
that while the number OF enrolled voters
in the Republican party practically had
doubled between 1914 and 1918 the pri-
mary vote In 1918 was only 27.s per
cent. Of the enrolment as against AIS
in 1914.
THE peak OF absurd!ty," the report
continues, was reached In the State
campaign OF 1916. when Mr.. Whitman
became the Official candidate OF the So
| called American party because through
out the whole State he had thirty-eignt
votes while Mr.. Seabury had one less,
trict>a vote OF two made a Socialist the
Official candidate OF hts party for Con-
gress."
The report also deals with the matter
, OF expense involved in the primaries. be-
cause In innumerable cases the farce OF
primary election had TO be gone
through with where there was no con-
test at all and the candidates nominated
or designated by petition were wholly
unopposed Continuing the report says ::
Moreover. many careful and anxious
! observers of the operation OF the direct
primary system have become convinced
that the result has been both to increase
the power OF the regular organizations
or machines or bosses and to render
them irresponsible. The organization or
boss can now act in secret behind closed
doors and without accountability to any
one except the inner circle. The leaders
! frequently whisper their orders over the
telephone TO the workers In the several
, districts. preserving no record and the
| desired result Is accomplished.
III an unit and improper nominal
ton is the result the leaders can dis
claim all responsibility. and say that It
I is the spontaneous will of the sovereign
/ people. AS the vote a the primary is
secret no one can be blamed or held ac-
I countable. there is no individual or
group Of individuals upon whom re-
| sponsibility can ever be fastened. Q
| IF il is argued that as a matter OF
! fact there Is actual responsibility and
: that every one knows II, this is an ad-
mission that. after all. the machine or
| boss In fact stu rules, and now more
effectively than ever. In truth, the re-
suit is either the increased domination
| OF the machine or boss. or the disinte-
grafton of party ties and discipline.
| AS has been pointed out by many
able writers. the convention system In
the past has been OF inestimable service
I to the country. With all its faults and
abuses, IL afforded the highest test OF a
! political representative institution in a
democratic community and the soundest
application OF the principle OF repre-
sentative or delegated authority.
The pending walton-Fearon bill
! seems to your committee to have been
ably and carefully prepared II is sub
stantially. the same bill that was intro
duced In 1915, and then approved by
many organizations favoring the restora-
ton OF the State convention. including
the Bar Association. 1t again provides
| (section ll3) for the credentials OF dele
gates In such manner as TO make them
conclusively entitled 10 their seats,
rights and votes as delegates to such
| COM antion' If -s>aU ed, there can Se
no contest as to seats in the convention
! itself and no possibility of the scandals
{ which disgraced conventions in the pa st
when committees on contested seats ar
bitrarily threw out one set OF delegates
/ In order to seat another set"