Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-06-01
The Republican Platform
May 20, 1920,

May 20, 1920, ,
To the Editor of the Morning
journal, Albuquerque, N. M.
Dear Sir;
Some days ago l saw an editor
lab in your columns beWaiing the
lack of interest of republicans in
political affairs as shown by the
fact that no one had awaited him =
Iself Of your invitation to present
views as to what the next repub-
lican state platform should con-
tain. The fact is that your invi-
tation was printed in black type
at the head of your first editorial
column and your readers undoubt-
eddy failed to read it because in
that place there are unusually only
matters connected with rates of
subscriptions and other business
subjects. You see that your edi-
torials are read if the announce
ments at the head of your. col
umns are not. 81.
A little later my friend, Mr.
Felix Baca, for whom / have great
and affectionate regard in re-
Spouse to your invitation present
ed his views strongly favoring the
advocacy of what is known as the
direct primary" | want to say
that | am quite sure that he is
wrong in this and that the direct
primary would be an evil thing
and the reverse Of beneficial in
its operation. The direct primary
is still on trial in u number of
states and no one can truthfully
say that where it has been in
operation it has brought about any
distinct Improvement in the char
.acter and ability of public offic-
ials or in the transaction of pub
he business. 1t is a step in the
direction of pure democracy and
away from our representative
form of government and pure de-
mocracy at one extreme would
be destructive of our present in
stitutions and quite as great an
evil as autocracy would be at the
other extreme. The founders of
our present form of government
carefully avoided either of these
extremes and we are not yet con-
WINGED that the middle course
which they adopted can he inn
proved upon. Practically the direct
primary can be of value only in
those Jurisdictions where one pOllt-
ical party is so dominant that a
nomination is equivalent to an
election, but in other places where
there is real contest between the
political parties, the candidate who
is successful in the primary cleo
ton is burdened with a double la
Dor and expense in two cam
paigns, to secure the nomination
and, to secure his election.
The convention system of max
ing nominations is more in har-
mony with our general represent
tative system of government and
if properly regulated can be made
to serve its purpose to tire entire
satisfaction of a political party
The foundation of that system Of
nominations is in the primary
meetings In the several voting pre-
cincts where delegates are Sc
lecied to county conventions held
for, the. purpose of nominating
county officers or sending dele
f5dltS " dlSltlNi anu ptdtt CDHNtH-
lions. Our troubles have been
with the foundation. Disorderly,
ill-regulated or unregulated pri-
maries have been the source of
Serious troubles but the remedy is
not by way Of what are called, di-
rect primaries, Let all primary
elections of all political parties
be held under official supervision
at the same time and place in
each voting precinct, preceded by
an official registration of voters,
and with separate ballot box for
each political party and a poll
book for each party, and we
would get rid OF the evils which
are. complained of in the conven-
tton system Of nominations. In
TO this there might he
provided method of nominations
quired percentage of voters, such |
petition to be filed with the Of
fetal authority charged with the
duty of printing official ballots
for the elections. At the last
meeting of the State Bar assoc
citation | Submitted for consider |
alton the draft of bill to be pre-
scented to the legislature provid- |
ing for such system, and as
soon as the minutes of that meet |
ing are published, | ask your at
tention to that proposition.
Such system, if adopted In |
with what is an equal !
Iy important change, and perhaps
more important would do more to |
governmental evils than |
any reform which can be suggest |
ed, | refer to what is commonly |
known as the short ballot" by |
which the number of elective Of
ficers would be made as small as
practicable, thereby enabling the |
voter to make more Intelligent /
choice and securing the best pos I
sible candidates. The average citi-
zen is SO occupied with his ordin-
ary business that he has but little
time to give to public affairs and
takes but little interest therein.
When there h presented to him n /,
choice among eighteen or twen.y1,
of each of two or moref
political parties, 1t 10 quite I'M