The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-10-18
THE DIRECT PRIMARY
DID TT


For ten years the direct primary
has been operated in Idaho politics
and the sum total Of it was that Al
most everybody condemned it. It
looked good in theory but invariably
brought the results the opposite from
what the theory called for. Men of
both parties assembled in the last
legislature and amended the law so
that 1t no longer operated in nomin-
ating state officers, but was still OPP
Grated In county affairs. Men of all
parties Joined in amending the law
and enacting law for state con-
vention system that was a modified
form Of the old system and, they
thought, an improvement on the old
system.
The state conventions held already
under that law have been eminently
satisfactory to all the parties with
the exception of Democratic and
Nonpartisan fellows being dissatis-
fed with what the Republicans did.
The Republicans were eminently sat
isfied with what their own party did.
The Democrats and Nonpartisans
are unanimous in condemning the
action Of the Republicans in the leg
islature in amending the direct pri-
mary law, but assume no responsible
ity for what their own members did
In helping to bring about that
amendment. They charge it all up
to the Republicans because it was q
Republican legislature and Republi-
can governor, and the Republicans
very gladly take the credit for
amending the law.
While the Democrats and Nom
partisans are roundly clamoring for
a direct primary law, they have not
made use Of that which they have;
it was not nullified by the amend
ment SO far as the county nomina-
lions are concerned, but they did not
use it. The Republicans while con-
demning the direct primary law alto
gether are willing to make a further
trial of it in county affairs on the
theory that the people may know all
of the candidates in their own county
but it is impossible for them to know
all the candidates in the whole state.
Therefore the average voter may be
qualified to judge of candidates in
the county and the law is left OPP
Grating as an experiment to that
extent.
In Bingham county the Republic
cans made use of the direct primary.
When 1t was over, some of those of
the Nonpartisan tendency came forth
with a petition to nominate some
body else because they were not
pleased with what the primary had
done. AS the weeks dragged along
they thought better of the matter
and withdrew their candidate whom
they had nominated by petition,
which was right. When they sought
to fill vacancy thru the Republican
central committee they made the dis
covery that all Of the candidates for
county Offices in Bingham county
lived in the town of Blackfoot and
In wards one and two. In the DELHI
erations of the committee they were
about to nominate man for COM
missioner who also lived in ward 2,
Blackfoot When this was discov-
cred, the nomination was thrown to
a man living at Moreland in an en-
deavor to correct the mistake of the
direct primary. 1t was the people
voting at the primary that nominated
all these Blackfoot people for the
county offices, the only two excep-
tons being commissioners for the
first and third districts, who could
not be selected from Blackfoot. No
nominating convention would have
selected all Of the candidates from
one spot in the county. However
good or however corrupt the conven-
ton, this blunder would not have
been made, but the people at large
did that thing thru the direct pri-
mary and they cannot shirk the re-
sponsibility. Neither can the Demo-
Gratis and Nonpartisans bring forth
the criticism that the Republican
candidates nearly all live in Black
foot and in one spot in the county
because that was the result of the
direct primary which they so roundly
clamor for. They have silenced
themselves on this matter by their
own conduct in getting themselves
into trap from which they can not
kick out.
The Republican central committee y
in attempting to fill the position for
commissioner stood solidly on the
principle of correcting the mistake
which the primary election had
brought about, namely, nominating
everybody from the town Of Black
foot. The committee said the
country was entitled to something
and in all of its tie votes there was
kept in mind the thought that who
ever the candidate was, he must
come from the country and not from
The town.
Will Arco Editor
!