The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1921-05-27

Immediately following the primary election, by Sunday morn
ing's mail, Maui News received the following letter:
May 20, 1921
Editor of Maui News:
1 am an oldstock, genuine American citizen with one
vote to cast at elections and 1 like to cast it in the right
place. Like many others under conditions prevailing here
| frequently know very little about any of the candidates
for an election. Some obEging acquaintance may say
''YOu want to vote for that Teller, he's all right or
''Turn that guy down, he's a crook - but beyond such the
source of information is rather limited.
think it would be a good plan to give them some pub
lcity. AS a definite suggestion, let the editor of a reliable
paper, no matter what his opinion of the different candi-
dates may be, invite those contesting for a certain office to
write a short article, saying what he can for himself Tor
herself) and setting forth his qualification as best he can
in a compact form and stating what he is willing to do if
elected.
Such a source of information, if published in your pa
per, believe would be very much appreciated by many
who wish to get some line on how to vote. [ am almost
ashamed to vote without knowing who the candidates are or
what they have done or intend to do.
Respectfully yours,
A SUBSCRIBER.
In the very nature of things the direct primary is supposed tc
be a personal expression of the individual voter in contradiction tc
a partisan expression. 1t is designed to give each voter an oppor
tunfty to express his or her wish as to who shall be the candidates
of the party to which he or she belongs. Prior to the direct primary
was asserted that party "bossess' controlled the nominations anc
that the voters really had no voice in choice of officials until after
a ticket had been named.
Under such circumstances the newspapers generally take nc
stand for or against any candidate for nomination at the primaries
unless some candidate is so eminently unfit for nomination on
party ticket and for election to office as, in the interests of the pub
lie veal, to render it necessary for the press to enter the campaign
1t so happens that in Hawaii the primary election law is a very
poor one in that tt in no sense a party primary. 1t permits mem
berS OF each party TO vote III GlctauOn Oh WHO snail De III cana
dates of the other party as well as of their own. 1t provides that i
a majority of votes go to any candidate for a particular Office h
shall be elected to office instead Of being nominated only at the prim
airy.
However the main point is that each voter is supposed to ex
press his individual preference for a particular man, to use his judg
ment. If the press should WELD its influence for particular candi
dates, except as already said where public good absolutely demands
the press would be working not in harmony with but against thu
purpose of the law. Hence it is that the newspapers are outspoke1
in the general campaign but usually take no sides at the primary
opening up their advertising columns to all the candidates to fur
Their their own candidates..
To hermit n OprSOn TO tell what he thinks OF himself and to per
nit to 90 unchallenged statements or omissions that go to deceive
would not be permissible in the columns of any respectable and re
spected newspaper. This is an unsurmomtable objection to thu
suggestion man.