Evening star., 1922-12-10
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


X rated by the new progressive
bloc in Congress for the elimi-
nation of the electoral col
lege. so-called. the direct election OF
President and Vice President. the
earlier meetings of Congresses fol-
lowing their election. and the earlier
Inauguration Of President and Vice
President, looms a contest to bring
about moro popular" government In
this country through the inaugura-
ton Of federal primary and standard
state primary laws for the selection
Of candidates for public ONCE.
The history of tho republic shows
clearly that the present movement is
in line with a trend toward more
popular government running over a
long trend OF years. The constitu-
tional amendments providing for the
direct election of senators and grant
ing suffrage to women are among the
latest manifestations Of this tendency.
Proposals Not Partisan.
Efforts to check this tendency have
been made from time to time-are
being made now. Party machines
and tho master mechanics guiding
look with favor upon proposals that
necessarily would shake their grip.
1t is significant that the men who
are backing the proposed changes are
made up of all the political parties in
the field. that the changes are not ad-
vanced as the proposals of any par
ticular party. as the parties exist to-
day. They are the progressive ele-
ment in those parties.
1t is expected that a bill will be
drafted before long providing for a
federal primary law. for the nomina-
ton of candidate for President and
Vice President. It will eminate from
the new progressive bloc. 1t Is ex-
pected also, that a model law for the
states will be put forward and an ef-
fort made to have this model law
adopted in the various states. as an
effoft will be made for the passage
OF the proposed federal primary law
in Congress-.
The President and vice presidential
candidate are now nominated in party
conventions, composed Of delegates
selected by the parties in the various
states, in various ways. The party
platforms are drafted in these same
| conventions. In some OF the states.
these delegates have been instruct
ed" by primary elections to support
certain candidates for nomination. If
| it were possible to have all these
DELEGATES so instructed, then the ef-
feet would be largely the same as
though a nation wide primary had
been held-provided OF course, the
delegates carried out their instruc-
| tions and voted for the candidates
| favored at the state primaries. Next
to the nationwide presidential pri-
| mary, this is what the progressives
| would prefer.
Each on Own Platform.
Under the primary system. the max
ing of platforms would be a different
matter Also Wisconsin has been a
pioneer in the matter Of primary
laws. There candidates for nomina-
tion to office announce their plat
| forms Since they are the men who
have to carry out the platform
| pledges, il they are elected. it is con-
sidered logical that they should an
nounce them. They are the individual
platforms After tho party nomina-
tions have been made. the nominees
gather and write the party platform.
It is considered that the men whose
duty is to fulfll the pledges contain
ed in a platform are = more respons-
ible group, when 1t comes to making
promises, than the men who will have
nothing to do with carrying them out
Whether it would be possible to
have tho platforms OF tho parties
drafted at national conventions Of the
party nominees for the Senate and
| House and for President and Vice
, President. or whether 1t would be
| wise to attempt such a plan. 1t does
seem as though these party nominees
| would be just as capable OF drafting