The Alaska daily empire., 1921-03-11

have at the general election In other words the voters the party primaries non partisan primaries for the selection of candidates and then go the polls in November to have it out between the two high
 Now the question, arises whether not would be desireableto return the old of party gov ernment in and local matters where the party machinery has control in certain measure, of government whether not it would be well tc permit the destruction of political parties in local matters and .confne them to National affairs
 California has considered this matter, and has accepted the that the refuse to regard National political parties controlling factors in local matters as they used regard them and have eonse look upon,the party primaries more as non partisan affairs She has provided for the printing of the of all who file for any nomination the primary ballots of all parties, and the official ballot used in the general election the nominees are entitled have the political designation each of the parties which nominated them. The result is that for the last half dozen years the State County officers and most of the members and the State Legislature in that State have been nominated by both parties. In late election there straight party contests in only three of the eleven California Congressional Districts. Several members including the Democratic Congressmen from First and Second Districts the two Republican Congressmen from San Francisco, Lea Raker, Kahn nd Nolan, nominated by all parties, Democratic Republican, Socialist and Prohibition. Three or four others nominated by both the Democratic and
 
 membership in the California Legislature were nominated by both the Democratic and Republican parties At the last State election California five of the State officers nominated by bot h the Democratic and Republican parties, and the man who got the most votes in the Democratic primary for the nomination for Governor Mayor James Roph of San Francisco, Republican second in tho Republican primary.
 This does not that they do not have con- tests in California 6 They have spirited primary contests than It means, however that instead of dividing the line National issues as repre- scented by the National political parties they divide the State local elections.
 While the California system has practically de- stroyed National political party alignments in State and local matters it has a tendency to protect the integrity of the National political organizations within the State. Under the system in vogue in that State there is not much inducement for Demo- crat to vote in the Republican primary or a Repub lican to vote in the Democratic primary in order to bring about the nomination of man he is support Ing Tor certain office for the reason that he can vote for the same to be the candidate of his own party. Nor would a voter go into the primary of the opposition party in order vote for weak candidate and make things easy for his, own party because by doing he would give that weak can his party. The result of such a system therefore would be that people would dmore likely vote in their own party primaries and then they would vote for Pfeclhct committeelhen to control their own party rather than for those to control the opposing party