The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-08-09
The Direct Primary as 1t
Has Worked in Kansas

DAVID ID. LEAHY, former secretary
- OF Governor Stubbs of Kansas, and
previous to thar for many years Sec
Rotary to Congressman Murdoch or
Kansas, and at presen. editorial writer
on the Wichita Beacon. Gov. Henry j.
Aliens newspaper, In n signed article
In the Beacon oH last Thursday, han
the following comments to make az
the primnry law as II has worked In
Kansas:
Tho primary law IT, u failure, and
the delusion that II makes for II better
public service has vanished 80 FAR MS
! am concerned. I was one OF the
pioneers In It's advocacy and for that
sii: ask forgiveness.
-r----
Six years ago I took u man out OF
the asylum and almost made him u
justice OF the supreme court OF tho
tate, This year IL Utmost enabled IL
crazy to become "A candidate for
one Of the highest Offices within the
gift Of the people.
II has added an extra Expense to
the burdens OF the Taxpayers OF prob
ably si2b,O0O on the theory that II
enables all the people TO have "a voice
In the selection of candidates, while,
ut Tho same time, II has been demon
strated that not more than one-third
OF b people take advantage Of II.
II gives the minority party an OPP
portunity to select weak candidates
Tor the majority party - candidates
that can easily be beater-and thus
brings about a condition which rem
defs the majority party impotent to
serve the public according to iu8 re-
H~ponsibility, In IL word, II has the
power to destroy majority rule.
II was designed 20 take power out
or the hands OF the professional poll
tloian. As a matter OF fact IL adds
to his power. The man WHO under
sands the game all ita tricks can
handle all the people more easily than
he can handle that part of the people
that usually represents the party In a
county or state convention.
IL Is the shyster'B best hope to wig
gle himself into office. Any man hav-
Ing twenty or thirty or~lifiy dollars
can buy n place on the party tlcket
and have a gamblers chance OF vim
ming a Tat state or county cfflce; for
30 per cent OF the people do not
know h men running for state Of
flces aud II the scallawag happens TO
have II favorable place on the primary
ticket. or an attractive name, lie Is
likely to get u majority OF the vote
cast.
In the state II Kansas Tuesday a
man was running for congress- who
never voted In The state. Ho spent
more thai half his life travelling In
foreign countries. He knows nothing
Whatever OF the needs OF the district
ne w~nslseeking to represent. He could
not define Its boundaries or name the
counties OF which Il Nv composed eight
weeks ago. And yet. according TO the
last reports | have read OF his con-
test. he stood a good chance OF win
ming over a time tried citizen and an
honorable representative.
1872
Why? Simply because his father,
who III rich, was willing TO buy the
position for him by extravagnnt nd
vertislng, expensive propaganda, the
use OF automobiles and even aero
planes 10 circulate his cards aud pie
lures and literature. He hii ed per-
used every device, within the power
OF q rich mans purse TO employ, to
influence the voters In his conHtltu-
ency. In a congregational convention
he would have no show ON earth Of
securing the nomination for that Of
flee.
- 80 Ff'fNt NN''ANDi AnO gtNIh
ago ] took the pains 10 ascertain
what proportion OF the people know
those who were then running for State
offices. ] &C I'D n0t find a single voter
who knew all OF them. do not think
that more than 8 per cent even knew
as many az half Of them. ! venture
the assertion that there wasn't one
person in Wichita TuesdQy who knew
all tho candidates he voted for.
-
Political parties are not corpora
lions They are private Institutions.
There N no more reason why q dsm,
ocrnt should have a voice In the se-
lection Qf a republican candidate and
Vice versa than thnt tho unitnrhns Or
Christian BcienfigtB should have a
voice ~ ftile selection ~ a successor
Wichiuf. And yet there IL no prae-
tlcal way OF preventing II.