The Colorado statesman., 1922-07-29
se in completed projects to

flee has been the subject of good
many informal conferences among Re
publicans here during the last few
weeks. As u result of these confer
ences the party in power will not
lead an attack ON thedrect primary
at this time. Instructions are
TO go out to Republican state Leaders
| that state conventions will do well
| lead an attack on the direct primary
laws. The better plan, the instruc-
tions will say, will be to declare for
revision of existing laws with the
view to the correction of some of the
weaknesses of those laws.
The primary system is not so popu-
lar as it was few years ago. Men
who had something to do with its in
PRODUCTION are now inclined to favor
return to the convention system,
but the pollticians-and particularly
the politicians who are at this time
up on the front row in the Repub-
lican party-are convinced that the
masses of the voters feel it is to their
interest to have the primary system
retained. "The present is an inoppor-
tune time to demand u return to the
convention system everywhere" say
the Republican leaders.
With the Republicans dlsinclined to
go on record in favor of a repeal OF
state primary laws, the subject will
hardly become an issue In the cam
paign next fall. The Democrats are
planning to stand by the primary sys-
TEN. 1t would seem that the trend
would naturally be toward campaign
discussion of plans for improving the
various state primary systems. Next
January the legislatures of about two
thirds of the states will meet. and,
undoubtedly, many proposals relating
to primary election laws will be made.
There is a growing demand that the
state systems be made uniform as far
| as possible; and there is call for
the simpllfication of some of the state
laws on the subject.
Primaries Disregarded in 1920.
Two years from now another pre-
convention national campaign will
be under way, and the primary laws
in the states that survive next years
round of legislatures will be in force
then. In 1920 the presidential prima-
ries conducted under state laws, al
though they aroused much interest
and called out large vote, did not
have anything to do with the nomina-
tions made by the two old parties.
AT both Chicago and San Francisco
the verdict or mandate of the pri-
maries was disregarded. The profess
sional politicians of the old school in
the old parties do not wish to be
bothered with the presidential prefer
ence primary. and it may be that. in
spite of the hands-off policy the Re-
publicans have decided to follow for
the present, there will be a demand
on the next January legislatures that
states repeal laws providing for presi-
Dental preference primaries.
There is a good deal of agitation for
federal presidential preference pri-
mary law-agitation that comes from
the progressives in both the old
parties-but there are many obstacles
in the way of the enactment of such
law. The outlook for it is not rs
good as 1t appeared a few years ago.
Cabinet Opinion Divided.
No attempt is made to conceal the
fact that the Presidents official fam.
lily is divided on the question as to
whether the existing primary or any
sort of a primary system should be
retained. John w. Weeks. secretary
of war. revealed the situation in the
cabinet when, in n speech in Cleve
land recently, he declared his opposi-
tion to the existing primary system.
The secretary did not pretend to
speak for President Harding; that
was not necessary, for the President
has on several occasions spoken for
himself. He does not like the exist
ing primary system, but he is enough
of politician to realize that the
present is probably not the time for
making the system n political issue. |
and so he is in sympathy with the |
party decision 20 keep hands off the |
system for the present at least.
At least two members of the cabi- |
net, Charles Evans Hughes, secre- |
tary of state, and Herbert Hoover |
secretary of commerce, are ardent |
advocates of the primary method of |
nominating candidates and they are |
in favor of improving the present |
state primary laws. Secretary |
Hughes was, of course, the father of
the primary legislation in New York |
state He had it out with the bosses
on this subject while governor, and
he has never charged his mind about
the wisdom of enacting wise primary
legislation. After the election of Mr.
Harding as President. and before the
In Hnplps p1D1p 81 /
speech in indianapolis in which he
severely criticised the political forces
that were seeking to destroy the pri-
mary. That speech was made at Il
time when it was generally under