The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1920-04-12

diiS NtlltuNu III thlo icbdfu' IL IOl
lows:
tBy William G. McAdoo; written a
the request of the United Press
j do not object to primary elec
tions for the selection of delegates
to national conventions, but | think
it is mistake to send instructed
delegates. Some of my reasons are:
1. only II sCates, believe, au-
thorize primaries. This leaves 81
states which choose their delegates
by the old convention method The
object of the primary is to give the
people chance to select a candidate
for the presidency and to prevent
political machines from controlling
the delegates and thereby controlling
the convention. But so long as 81
states may choose and instruct del
egates through conventions and only
II may choose and instruct through
primaries, the system fails at the
very outset to accomplish the pur-
pose for which it was designed.
2. The primaries are held at vary
ing dates and under varying regula-
tions in the different states, some of
which do not properly safeguard the
election. Some primaries are held
as much as four months in advance
lof the convention. AS a consequence
Instructions are given without knowl
edge Of conditions as they may exist
at the date OF the convention and yet
the delegates ARE bound to course
of action which may be directly op-
posed to their best judgment and to
the best interests of the country at |
the time he convention meets.
8. A two-thirds vote is required
TO nominate in a democratic conven-
tion. SO long as delegates are in
structed, some by state primaries
and others by state conventions, the
national convention may find itself
deadlocked by instructions the mo-
ment it assemblies.
4. Political intrigue and political
manipulation in national convention
are reduced to a minimum when the
convention is composed of high
minded, cleanminded men and wom-
EN- who go there, not the blind
champions of individual ambitions
but as representatives of their party.
s. Experience shows that only a,
small percentage of the people take
part in state primaries for presiden-
tial candidates by a pitiable minority
of the voters Of the state The very
purpose of the primary is defeated
when voters do not vote. Consequent
~ small minority assume to ex-
press the will of the entire state,
whereas, if a full vote was had
wholly different verdict might be
The disappointing results
of primaries thus far are due to in
difference of the voters In some in
stances it has been easier for the
machines to control the primaries
than to control the conventions. !
6. The primary system of choos- 4
ing presidential candidates might be
deal if practiced in the right way
and made uniform in all states. 1t q
ought to be provided for and con
lucted under authority of federal d
aw. T
For instance, suppose that in every
state a primary to choose presiden- =
ial candidates was held in June of Il
he presidential year, and that the
ioters of each party could be arous- n
I'd sufficiently to make them go to u
he polls and express their will; the :
candidate SO selected would then be- :
,ome the nominee of the party and :
ional convention would be unneces- :
iary except to adopt the platform :