Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1922-07-21
PRIMARY VERSUS CONVENTION

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Fergus Falls Tribune bout every
80 often, igorons attempt is made
[by standpatters and ultra conservatives
to discredit and destroy the primary
system Of nomination The voters are
told it is too expensive and cumber.
some, and that better men are chosen
by conventions than by primaries.
Undoubtedly the primary system has
defects, but so also has the convention
system, and at the time the primary
system was generally adopted the de.
fects Of the convention system were
SO glazing that the people felt that
almost any kind of makeshift nomina.
ton system would be better than the
unregulated party convention, which
permitted the worst kind Of hidden
politics and boss control.
The primary system of nomination
is the fairest and most democratic
system that can be devised. A return
to the convention system would be a
return to boss-controlled nominations.
1t is true, Of course, that where the
political leaders or bosses are actuated
by patriotic motives very able men
will be selected by a convention. But
in too many. cases political leaders and
bosses are controlled by selfish motives
and the kind Of men nominated are not
the kind who will have the best inter
ests of the people as whole at heart.
They will be chosen in many cases to
serve large special interests, and the
rights and welfare Of the people will
be disregarded.
The chief criticisms which can lie
leveled against the primary system are
it's cost and the fact that many people
do not vote. In regard to the cost
that is matter which can be regulated
by law. The cost Of the system, more
over, is not Of necessity large. For in
stance, Col. Brookhart, the successful
Republican candidate for the nomina-
ton for United States senator in Iowa,
spent very little money on his cam
paign.
A return to the convention system,
would not get away from the wrong
full or excessive use Of money to Sc
cure nominations. In the old days,
money flowed freely at many Of the
SOA 'CACIOuS, anu CuC huulC1Ouo SCdiuilo
which finally discredited the convcn-
ton system, proved the fact that large
amounts Of money were frequently used
TO influence nominations Furthermore
it is much harder to influence a whole
electorate by the use Of money than
it is to influence few politicians in
a convention, most Of the important
transactions of which take place in
some small committee room, where q
half'dozen or so of the powerful politi
cal leaders settle matters among them
selves.
The small number of voters who
cast ballots at a primary election is
also one Of the things criticized about
the primary. That, however, is mat.
ter of education Of the individual
voter as to the Importance of the pri
mary; and it is also true that even a
poor primary vote is n.ucl, more re-
preventative Of public opinion than s
convention vote, in which only infu
entail political figures count.
The primary system is stin in it.
development; it has not had a fail
trial yet, and it would be a reversion
to machine politics ana boss control
to return to the convention system
The primary is at least fair and demo.
cratic in principle; the old convention
system was neither fair nor democratic