The Farmington times., 1922-09-22

the law IN the nrst place, to change
A few of the members thought the
convention should let the whole
question alone on the theory that it
was purely Legislative, but opposed
to these were group who pointed
out that the Legislature had done
nothing and was not likely TO do any
thing witha asW system that's t'had
brought about its o%n nomination and
election. People I'M some isectiohs Of
the state were declared to be in fab4
or of the convention system; properly
conducted by delegates chosen to
represent the people, who should
name all officers in districts larger
than county.
1t was stated again and again that
there was no fear on the part of the
members that the people Of Missou-
ri would not vote right on candi-
dates whom they knew, but that un-
der the present statewide primary
it was absolutely impossible for them
to sufficiently inform themselves on
the mass of candidates running for
| office in the state at large. It was
matter of luck or guesswork whether
they voted for the most efficient can
didate or not. Some suggested the
short ballot as a remedy, but it was
urged that this was even more un-
popular than the primary. In coun-
ties it was agreed that the people
were informed on the candidates, or
had better opportunity to get ac-
quainted with their qualifications,
and so there was little opposition to
the local and county primary.
1t was pointed out in the general
debate on the question that the ma
jority candidate was seldom nomi-
mated in primary, if three OR more
were running on the same ticket, and
that it was possible for candidate
polling less than 20 per cent of the
vote to receive the nomination; that
frequently the poorest qualified can
didate on the ticket received the
nomination and sometimes men of
bad character secured places on the
ticket by filing at the last moment
and then winning the election over
superior men by the minority meth
cd.
Another evil of the primary as at
present conducted was the spectacle
Of voters going into the primary
and voting for the candidates of the
opposition party, in some cases for
the purpose of getting weak candi-
date on the ticket so that he could
be defeated more easily in the gene
raj election.
The proposition adopted in the
committee of the whole will probab-
ly be submitted as separate amend
ment for the people to vote upon
when they vote for the constitution.
1t simply makes the method of NOM
ination optional with the political
parties SO that the people may still
retain the primary method if they
see fit to do so and on the other hand
may hold delegate conventions if
they wish. None of the members
wanted to go back to the old mass
caucus and convention system with no
legal regulation, but the proponents
Of the delegate convention were sure
that the method Of control could be
made SO secure that the peopIe would
get better service and freef express
sion of their desires than 1nAef the
present method of nominations,
An important feature of the pro-
posed system would be the making of
platform of party principles be-
fore the candidates were nominated
and not have the spectacle as at
present of platform convention in
which self-called candidates gather
to make a platform to suit them
selves and filled with catch phrases
designed to attract votes. Under
present conditions, it was frequently
pointed out, party solidarity and in
tegrity was being broken down and
destroyed.
Upon the completion of the Suf-
frage and Elections report by the
committee of the whole, the. report
of the Committee on Legislation
which had been completed in the
committee of the whole, was. called
up Thursday for consideration in the
convention. Minor amendments were
passed upon and new amendments
were presented. One calling for the
payment of salary of $3.50 per
year to members of the general as
sembly, but placing no limitation on
the length of the sessions, met with
little support and was voted down.