Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-04-15
.BEVERIDGE IN
DEFENSE OF THE
= PRIMARY PLAN
Addresses Women Voters
League on Methods of
Choosing Candidates.
OLD SYSTEM IS RAPED

OLD SYSTEM IS RAPED
CLEVELAND, Ohio, April 15.-Speak-
ing before the national convention Of
the Women Voters League here today,
Albert ]. Beveridge made a strong de-
tense Of the primary system as opposed
to the old convention plan OF selecting
party nominees for political office Mr..
Beveridge asserted that practically every
force that opposed woman's suffrage is
now lined behind a concerted drive to
abolish the primary system.
No matter what faults may be found
with the primary system. Mr.. Beverage
said, those very faults exist in an ex-
agEerated form in the old convention
method of choosing candidates.
In part he said:
1T devolves upon those who propose
To destroy the primary and restore the
convention to prove two things-firSt,
that the primary is bad and, second, that
the convention is good. The situation is
not the same as il would be If the two
systems were untried and newly pre-
sented The convention was thoroughly
tried and rejected; the primary is in
existence and. in various stages of de-
velopment. is fUnctioning in every State
in the Union except six-Rhode Island,
Connecticut, Delaware, Utah. New Mexico
and North Carolina.
HAVE ONLY TO
ANSWER ASSAILANTS.
so We who champion the primary
have only to answer those who assail it.
The burden Is on them to establish two
affirmatives-the excellence of the con-
vention and the hurtfulness OF the pri-
mary.
at viii be conceded that the most inn
rortant recent event In the evolution of
our free Government was the universal
acknowledgements of American women last
year. Whether women are now to be re-
stricted in the exercise Of the ballot is Of
almost equal importance to their enfran-
chisement itself
The direct nominating primary must
be saved, therefore, because through the
primary and only through the primary,
women can make practical use Of their
votes. Under the direct dominating pri-
mary women can go to the polls and help
nou4nats party candidates exactly as
they afteTward go to the polls on cleo
tion day and help elect public officials
Under the convention system this is prac-
tically impossible, women are, in effect,
disfranchised because, under the conven-
zpdon system, they have no Part in nOmi-
mating candidates.
AIANIPULATORs
IN CONVENTIONS.
Under the convention system, party
candidates were, for the most part
named by professional party manipula-
tors, meeting in secret and operating
through their convention agents. All
that then remained for the average man
voter was to serviteIy vote the party
ticket with the making. Of which he had
had absolutely nothing 10 do. This was
one reason that the convention system
was overthrown and the direct nominal
ing primary esta bEshed IN places OF it.
Nearly all the men who are now
exerting themselves to abolish the prl-
mary, bitterly opposed and savagely
fought the adoption Of woman suffrage
throughout the Republic. II it can not
be said that every man who Is now
against the primary was also against
equal suffrage, it can be said that prac-
ticaIIy every man who was against
woman suffrage is now against the pE-
mary.
practically every professional party
manipulator in America is against the
primary-and was against votes for
women.
Every selfish interest IN the land that
seeks special privileges at the expense
OF the people is against the primary
and was against votes for women.
LIQUOR COMBINE
OPPOSES SUFFRAGE.
'SThe still powerful and now desperate
liquor combination is against the pri-
maryland was against votes for women.
Substantially, all the men and forces
which, through the convention system.
once ruled political parties, are against
the primary-and were against votes for
women.
THE direct nominating primary must
be saved because It is the Eest method
yet devised by which citizens can prevent
party corruptiOn-the best method yet
devised by which citizens can purify
parties If corruption does creep into
party management Under the direct
nominating primary, the party voter
holds the whip-hand over the party
organization; without the direct nomi-
mating primary, the organization holds
the whip-hand over the party voter.
The direct nominating primary must
be saved because 1t strengthens and
unifies political parties-and, in the
present stage Of the development OF free
institutions, political parties are neces-
sary to the conduct Of popular represen-
tative government.
1.-The direct nominating primary must
be saved because it produces public
officials who are more responsive TO the
people who nominate and elect them,
than are produced by conventions run
BY professional politicians. Convention
made candidates are responsive to the
men and interests that nominate them,
whereas primary-made candidates are
responsive to the party voter who nomi-
nate them. This is merely human ma
ture; and the facts are proved by
general experience. No human device Is
perfect and, Of course unworthy candi-
dates are sometimes nosA4nated at pri-
marles: but far worse candidates have
been chosen by conventions.
PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY
FOR YOUNG CANDIDATES.
The direct nominating primary must
be saved because, through it, talented.
energetic and independents minded young
men and swomen can express themselves
politically-can become candidates and be
elected to public office and take part in
government.
'The direct nominating primary must
be saved because it best prevents the
secret and corrupt use of money habit
ual to the convention. Under the primary
the amount OF money expended must be
made public; under the convention sys-
TEN the use Of money is hidden. Nobody
knows-nobody can know except the