The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-27
TnE PRIMARY sYSrEM.

Mayor Swain, Of okmuigcc. In welcoming tho
delegates to tho democratic convention. nvnilcd
himself OF the opportunity to urge roturn to
tho convention syslom ~ making nominations
and codifying party principles, Almost instantly
that weil known dcufaEoguc. Bcn Lafayette
challenged tho mayor, pointing out that tho
primnry law Ia democratic prodigy" II Is
.nd then rumr. but that Is not the point of our
remarks
Among thinking mon grounded In practical
affairs thcro.s privately very little division con-
ocrnlng the primary law They arc all opposed
tolt. hut rarely enough is there one courageous
enough to step out In public ana give voice TO
the faith that In In him The mayor OF Okmulgoc
Ia to be commended for his courage
The reasons for this growing opposition to an
instrument that was promised as panacoa for
all political Ills are manifold whllo several ycarT
practice OF tho instrument have made thcm 30
manifest that denial of them Is absurd
Tho primary has to all practical purposes put
an end to anything In the nature of difference
between the two great partics lie would he
enc OF Ben LaFaycttca "prodgics' who could
offhand accurately describe what Il is ehhor the
republican party or democratic party stands for
and wherein is TO be discovered fundamental
difference between them
1t is an axiom az old ~ society that u society
without organization government aud discipline
is utterly inefficient and Erotcaqucy absurd
Tho primary has destroyed all organization. gov
errment and dlacipllnc. A man OF no known or
accepted attributes, committing With no oHc
either as to his ambition or his politics. an
pouncea as "a candidate for high effice and
elects to run on one or the other OF the two
marty tickets AZ q republican he may diHro-
gard every fundamental OF the republican party
In tho platform he cmits while as n democrat he
tnAy perform similarly In respect to hcprincples
OF democracy. SO that not mfreaucnty We find
n republican holding q splendid brief for old
democratic principles while democrat may he
cupouslng In fact the principles OF the republican
faith,
There remains nothing OF either the dcme-
cratic or republican parties save their names
And yet tho demand goes on irsstcntly for party
responaiblity Not infreduently there are. 80
far as their platforms are concerned, out and
out socialists running under the party oolors OF
both republican and democratic parties. Al
most at the very moment an ovowed radical and
therefore outlOwed coalition OF class orgenlAa-
tiuns is meeting at Shawnee Tor the openly
avcwed purpose OF invading the democratic prl-
marios and capturing the ticket outright,
All this has been madc possible and certain
by tho prin,a~y law The primary has utterly
destroyed party Organization. party government
ami party responsibility
The primary law hos operated to place In
power much tower standard OF legislative and
executive agents, has made contagious the
nalady which ts certain to subvort tho govern
mont Party government is essential 60 the
sneoesafll maintenance or a written constitution
which actually does protect the minority AGAINST
the majority Tb- primary system leads TO the
eae supreme crror--the viii OF the majority v
the law Of the land, And once that hseomes the
established philosophy. trecdom liberty, inde-
pendenee ara equality have disappeared with
out party government within the party---a gov-
srument capable OF innicting diseiplne-every-
thinE gives way sooner or later TO the indi-
uduals lust for votes Thus we have class
government at tho behcst ot numbers without
reference to the limits and checks OF a written
constitution. We are near that point now.
The primary, designed to free the people from
corruption and graft. has increased both 20 an
amazing extent In fact, tho primary system
does breed corruption In office. n Is known
fact that a primary campaign for governor and
the election ensuing costs at tho minimum figure
four or five times the entire salary Of the office
FOR the entire four-year term. pyoporuonately
tho same thing Is true concerning every other
-sLoo in the scheme ~ government.
Tss human oreduly reached that point
where (, is willing to believe that men doliher-
ately throw such vas, sums OF money away Tor
tho mere honor OF exercising authority Tor a
abort periods A, the moment democratic cam
hnlllN
underwriting sSndioatcs have previously direct
Cd the successful guhornatorial campaigns within
the democratic party ot oklahoma, cxactlng
their pound of flesh IN otfici0l t1vors after the
accomplishment; that such syndicate ts olcr.
Aung again IN the present campaign The charge
ts literally true, too But certainly one ot two
alternatives must be faced after the charge Is
accepted, Either tho candidates making such
aharsa- aud iA.,... l..--