The log cabin Democrat., 1921-04-23
HENDRIX DEFEATS
 TEXANS IN FORUM ELECTION SYSTEM ISSUE o. $. Gates and H. NJ. Lewis Assert Present Convention System
 Superior to Primaries.

bdyioT university Of Waco went down by a verdict of two to one in the second annual debate with Hen dflX College last night in the high school auditorium. Hendrix was rep resented by o. s. Gates of Hatfield and Horace M Lewis of Conway. While Baylor had as spokesman w.. U. Matthews and w. R. Poage. Judges were J. L. Bond, state super lntendent of public instruction, Dal- las I. Herndon, secretary of the Ar kansas History Commission, and Judge Joseph W. House, Sr., all of Little Rock. Prof. T. s. Staples of Hendrix presided. Hendrix upheld the negative of the question: Re
 solved, That presidential candidates should be selected by a system of direct primaries"
 MT. Matthews, opening the affirm atlve argument, revealed the course to be followed by Baylor. He launch ed an attack upon the national con- vention system, which permitted "15 blear eyed men at the midnight hour to assemble in an out of the way Chicago hotel and dictate the nomina- tion of Senator Harding" Turning quickly to the Democrats, the speak CT charged that the "bosses" set aside the popular demand for McAdoo and substituted Cox as the nominee. Cor porate interests were pilloried con- sistently by the affirmative. The unit rule at Democratic national conven- tions, which forces state delegations to vote according to their majority, was also attacked and held as first devised for the defeat of Henry Clay.
 The principal arguments for the affirmative were advanced by MT. Matthews, who claimed simplicity and practical adaptability for the direct used in A states for the nomination of state, district and county officers and in p states to instruct national convention delegations on presidential choices. MT. Page for the affirmative recounted the formation of the con- vention system. It first came into use in 1881, he said, and some of it's presidential choices have been Fill more, Hayes and others who lacked much of being popular choice. The rank and file of people will not be disappointed in the direct primary, he declared. "The people want it, MT. Poage said, "and are going to get 1t in spite of Boss Penrose, Boss Barnes and the gentlemen of the neg ative."
 MT. Gates and MT. Lewis argued against the direct primary on six points:lt will not remove the evils of the present system; it will be expen- slve; 1t will not attract men of truly presidential caliber; it will permit mi nority or sectional rule; it will allow permit voters of one party to dam age another by combining on weak candidates and securing their nomi- nation, and it will annihiliate par Nes and substitute a populist gov ernment. Mir. Gates made two prin- cipal points in his argument. Apathy upon the part of the people and not an inherent fault in the convention sys- tenn permits 'boss rule" The adop tlon of direct primaries would be at tended by the same greater evils. Then the direct primary would elimi- nate the candidate of small means, on account of the immense cost of national advertising campaign to bring his claims before the people.
 Closing the negative side, Mir. Lew is represented perhaps the most or derly and impressive argument of the four speakers. It should be said in justice to Mr. Lewis that his artc- ulation was impeded by gas poisoning received while in overseas service and his speech was made under handicap. His main point was that democracy is government by representation, which exercises it's authority through officers delegated to act for it. The politician he said is a better citizen than the average man because he studies and is interested in the ma chlnefy 0f the state. The convention system, while imperfect, tallies with other features of a government by representation.
 Rejoiners by the four speakers were lively. Mir. Matthews claimed, on the basis of the Literary Digest's popular vote, that the 1920 candidates were not popular choice and closed with an attack on the bosses" Re- spending, Mr. Gates characterized his opponents effort as "bombastic, pseudo patriotic explosion" He de- tended national conventions as more workable and in keeping with the American form of government than the direct primary would be. Min critics, split votes, favorite sons and the other outcroppings of the primary | al of an