The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-25
Judge Miller on the Direct Primary
Nomination Fraud.

Nomination Fraud.
In answer to an inquiry put TO MIN
from the floor at a meeting he ad.
dressed on Friday Judge MILLER, the
candidate for Governor,
gave his opinion of the direct primary
system now in force in the
State of New York in these plain
words:
81 think, sir, that a Statewide d.
rect primary has proved to be delu-
sion and a snare. a fraud. l think
that It has offered opportunity for
two things, fo7 the demagogue and
the man with money. and I am in
favor OF restoring. as far as the cleo
ton OF State and judicial candidates
is concerned. a representative party
system That is where 1 stand. sir.
have not been talking about 1t be-
cause we are concerned with graver
issues"
That's right" shouted a voice.
"Of course" said Judge MILLER,
sit is all right The people of this
State know a fraud when they have
seen It. They have seen how the d.
rect primary has operated in the Sc
lection of judicial candidates; they
have seen how it operates in he
selection of State candidates, and
they are ready to quit on it, and 1
promise you that, so far as my inf'u-
ence goes after January l. we will
get rid of the direct primary so far
as it applies to either State or ju-
dicial Office"
At another meeting, in answer to 8
note handed to him from the floor
Judge MILLER said:
'Tt is utterly impossible in this
country to have mass action in any
unit as large as the State. The eff
feet of the direct primary law on The
selection of our candidates has been
TO cause deterioration. The effect of
the direct primary law as applied to
the State at large has been bad.
believe in the representative party
system. This is representative gov
eminent. 1t is not pure democracy,
and people who say 1t is deceive you"
The direct primary system was
adopted by New York State for the
of candidates for public
Office because of the belief of it's spon.
sors that it would improve political
make more effective the in
terest of citizens in party manage
ment, and curb the power of the party
leaders.
How utterly the system has failed
to produce the good results which it:
honest advocates hoped and expected
from its operation Is fact recorded
In the political history of the State.
Its unexpected and demoralizine
have been observed and
discussed by intelligent citizens fol
years. What Judge MILLER says of II
is known to be the truth by every man
who has had his eyes open to the
progress of political affairs between
Lake Erie and Montauk Point.
Judge MILLER's words in denuncia
tlon of this failure are not too strong
To retain It on the statute books is t.
endanger the American party system
of government, and to pretend it has
accomplished what it has not accom-
plished is n fraud. 1t should be re
pealed, and it will be repealed by ;
Republican Governor and a Republi
can Legislature in 1921.
It's repeal having been effected, tn,
State can return to the orderly devel
opment of the convention system. Ii
this the natural political genius of the
American people finds expression. 1t:
processes can be safeguarded by law
for the punishment of fraud in tn,
selection and seating Of delegates
Beyond this statutes can do little OF
good in regulating political parties