The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-06-27

| " nave tile statement accepted that
no organization can exist on any
other basis. To dispute such
statement is to raise from the dus,
OF discarded issues the old coIors
OF the secession movement ana 10
justify forcible separation becausa
minority Is not permitted to die.
tate.
That must not be.
All Conventions Compromisc.
1t is literally true that no nationv
convention has ever yet functiones
In manner acceptable to ali o,
those participating. II Is approx.
mately true that none has eve,
fGncioned IN a manner to give per.
feot satisfaction to any ono present
and participating. But go far from
this being an objection II is a trib.
ute TO the representative theory Of
government, and an everlasting bul.
Wark against excess In any direc.
ton.
1t Is quite true that practices ara
INDUCED In under the conyention
system highly Objectionable. But
the choice is between two evils.
Perfection is not going to be al.
tained In politics no matter wha.
course be followed. And tho ques.
ton men must ask and answer is
whether or not the convention an.
representative system does ncl
square more surely with both the
purposes and needs of our system
OF government than a practice which
Is the hall mark of u pure democ.
racy?
II Is not the purpose of the writer
to attempt to present a case made
Tor the convention system as oppus-
ed to the primary system. I'M
thought Is to point out that tng
two systems cannot be expected to
work together, and that in selecting
between the two both parties must
inevitably and unequivocally take
their position on the undertaking
principle--whether we are to re.
main O republic or become in fact
democracy
The Senatorial Investigation.
The most outspoken against the
primary system OF electing delegates
were those who found themselves
Handicapped by such a commission
and those who appeared to have
benefited bost by reason OF It The
senatorial Investigations disclosed
two material facts:
To make primary campaign
costs q kings ransom II IL Is to be
made intelligently and honorably In
the open; that unless It is so made,
as In the case of the Missouri dele-
gates, the possibilities of corruption
are in no sense reduced IL men
are to offer themselves as candi-
dates for an office directly. then
II is not only their privilege but
II Is their duty to make themselves
known to the people as thorouAhly
hn l.. ~.
statement that no man will dispute
But to do that requires money and
capable lieutenants. Nothing less
than a million dollars will enable a
for the presidency to even
approach n thorough canvas Of the
nation.
Yet the mere statement that such
an amount was spent, even though
no scintilla OF evidence ,was ad-
duced to suggest improperiety in
expenditure. was destructive of the
work honorably undertaken. The
public seemed incapoble OF differ
between one man who was
not a public speaker but possessed
money and gave literally TO the
of one man, and another
man who gave Just as literally OF
his time and talents as public
Yet culpability, II It exists, must
be as great in one case as in an
other. As a matter OF fact no cul-
pability exists in either case and
only a demagogue would plead 1t.
But the remagoguo Is always pres
ent and thrives best in a pure de-
nocracy.
Back to the Republic.
The Chicago experience shows
nat an impossible and hopeless
deadlock may and is almost certain
% result from attempting TO work
convention composed of delegates
part of whom were elected in Z
primary; that such a thing as a
delioerative body so composed Is
'ut of the question:; that secession
would inevitably result.
And very few men participated IN
he Chicago convention but were
convinced that either the primary
method OF electing and instructing
delegates must be abandoned and az
east one party get directly back 10
he representative system, or that
uniform presidential nrefenencs
primary law must be enacted when
VIII to all intents and purposes
Ibolish the deliberatlve convention
md usher in the day OF democracy
n earnest.
There is no question about II IN
ny mind at all. Nor is there any
question in my mind that the ad-
ption of the uniform presidential
Preference primary will be only
he fore runner of further conces-
ions TO the tendency of the times
finally in attempted x
egislation by primary and the COM
lete downfall in chaos of another
epubllc.
For my part the decision is made.
stand and shall continue to stand
y the deliberative convention with
II OF Its faults. 1t Is the only man
er In which n republic can func-
ION according to the conception OF
he republic. And I think there is
public opinion here In America
hat Justifies party taking It's
iand squarely on that Fundamental
rinciple. II I am to be ruled in
tead OF governed then I had as g2on
e ruled by an individual thauA
hob. Tho individual would be pre-.
erable. And l do not think Il pos
bile for a dictator to ever rise 80
ing as the principles and the
ractlces of the republic are follow