, 1922-09-15
Sad Results of Prinaru

y AN article in the Saturday Eve
L ming Post on "The Tribulations of the Senate"
Kenneth L.. Roberts talks rather plainly TO the
American people with reference to their United
States senate, its personnel and the quality thereof,
the manner of transacting its business, together
with many other matters and things to show
changes that have occurred with the passing years
and the general decline in character and ideals
set by the fathers and founders in the beginning
of the republic.
One feature of Mr.. Roberts article will attract
more than passing attention from those who read
it and digest what they read and that is his ref.
erence to the sad influence the primary election
system has exerted upon the senate membership
since the passage of the seventeenth amendment to
the constitution.
Mr.. Roberts does not deal gently and either con.
sciously or unconsciously has given other writers,
airy system, strong argument for their position.
Perhaps a few paragraphs from Mr.. Roberts
article will illustrate the point:
The seventeenth amendment to the constitution
provided that senator's should be directly elected
by the people. In addition to this, senatorial can.
didates were nominated at direct primaries, in
stead of being named at party conventions.
Politics, instead of being lifted BY the institu.
tion of the direct primary to a high plane and an.
chored there securely, was lifted about seven miles
IN the AIR, and left there to float around unhappily
and helplessly. This was because the people, who
became the s~electors of candidates under the direct
primary system, selected in many instances the
with the strongest lungs. the longest and
prettiest hair and the most highly developed prom.
lserS. fOr q long time 1t seemed as il the voter
would fall only for lungs and promises. mistaking
them, in a manner peculiar to the bulk of voters
of any country unless they are ably led, for courage
and ability but happily the direct primaries were
used intelligently in several cases last spring.
"The late Mr.. Thomas CARLYLE once described tbe
inhabitants of his own country as "Twentv.seyen
mostly FOOLS His characterization prob.
ably wouldn't have included the political bosses
for a political boss, though he NAV be many nm
pleasant and offensive things, is scarcely a fool
When, therefore, the political bosses and the rem,
resentat1ve delegates to party conventions selected
senatorial candidates they were seldom foolish
enough to mistake lungs and promises for courage
and ability. Being practical politicians. they us
ualy selected men to run for senator who had made
successes IN some form of human endeavor. The
callber of too many of the men that the bosses Sc
tccted for the senate was far higher than the cali
Der of those that the people have since selected TO,
the senate; and it is safe to say that the people, al
many direct primaries, have allowed themseIye,
to be bunked and hokused into selecting senatorial
candidates that few old-time political bosses woult
have had the nerve to suggest.
ut is gradually dawning on the country at larp,
,that the tendency of the American voters to cas-
ms ballot for insincere politicians at the direc
primary has been causing the standard of men il
public life to take a slump. The direct primar,
alone cannot make a trimmer and coward out of
courageous man; but 1t is only by means of the di
rect primary that the people can break the contro
of corrupt political bosses over public offices. TIL,
fault, however, is not with the direct primary law
hut with the great American boob. The direct pri
mary has given the great American boob a fin
chance to throw his vote blithely for flannel
mouthed orators who are adopts at making peopl
believe that noise is craftsmanship. So long as tn
great American boob continues to behave in thi
manner, the direct primary is a handicap rattle
than a blessing to the country, and the American
people as a whole deserves to lose its right to nam
candidates to high office. New York is returpin,
this year to nominating senator's at party conven
tons; Maine is on her way back to the party cor
%vention; and Minness-a is about TO take the sam
step. Thus do-s the boob voters discredit what i
basically Il good law.
"At any rate, when so many voters hearkened L
the campaign pleas of loud-mouthed. silver,
%tongued, fluent -promiting candidates. they auto
%matically put their stamp of approval on dema
gogues. A domagogue, as one may find by consult
ing the best works of reference, is IAN unprinciple
popular orator or leader; one who endeavors t
cnrry favor with the people or some particular po1
tion of them by pandering to their prejudices o
wishes, or by playing on their ignorance or pas
sions'
"The senate includes men who answer exactly t
that description. Day after day visitors to tn
senate listen with disgust TO men whose every wor
is calculated to curry favor with the people or som
particular portion of them by pandering to thei
prejudices. Never in the history of the senate ha
there been more demagoguery than exists in it tc
day.
"The connection between the direct primary an
the blccs that are maxi ng so many offensive messe
in both houses of congress is clearly apparent. TIL