The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-11-18
War ON PRIMARY
William Allen White and 4. ID.
McKeever Cross Swords.
White Defends Primary-Mc-
Keever Makes Bitter Attack.

What probably were- the opening
guns in the impending battle to change
the Kansas primary law were fired
here when William Allen White, of
Emporia, and f. d. McKeever, prom
'inent Topeka lawyer, crossed swords
over the primary in a meeting of the
White defended the primary and Nc
Keever made a bitter attack upon it.
THE primary is responsible for the
political confusion we are now ex-
cal parties" McKeever told the women
voters.
He enumerated the following evils
that he charged to the primary:
1t has destroyed the line of de-
marcation.
1t has made party misfts
1t allows any one to run on the Re-
publican ticket and allows one party
to vote in the primary of another
party
1t permits a minority to nominate,
and permits a small group to push
one candidate thru newspaper sup
port.
1t permits newspaper control of pa
tronage by having newspaper hench-
men appointed to jobs.
1t makes it necessary for candi-
date to have wealtR and newspaper
support.
II gives control TO large cities, with
rural interests ignored.
McKeever declared that if the pri-
mary had been in effect when Abra-
ham Lincoln was actively entering
politics, it would have been impossible
for the great emancipator to have be-
come a candidate because the primary
would have made it too expensive.
In suggesting his remedy for the
present evils of the primary, Nc
keever said:
at would racornyoa1d tho ga Of
a law that would permit local pri-
maries to select delegates to state
convention to select candidates and
make a platform. do not see why
in politics; we have conventions run
all other organizations and institu-
tions-why not have them run the
party organizations
William Allen White condemned the
convention system as strongly as he
stood up for the primary system.
White Condemns Convention System.
THE convention system develops 4
the primary educates the electorate
he said II prefer a more popular
government. Government should not
be weighed and sifted thru a group of
trained politicians. 1t is true the pri- |
mary is not fool-proof. If the people |
are lethargic, the primary may be |
abused There must be a strong pur- |
pose on the part Of the people to make |
White declared that the break of |
1922 could not have occurred without
the primary. He declared that thru |
the, convention system you get con-
the primary you get liberal or radical
government In discussing this par
ticular phase. he said:
The convention people do not want
change. The direct primary tends to
break party loyalty. The liberal
in politics has been largely
Republican and this has weakened
party loyalty. This is not a bad de-
A man should be a party
man about so days before election and
then forget the fact the. rest of the
year"
Mr.. White declared himself in favor
Of the short ballot. He admitted that
under the present Kansas system fools
and crazy people can get in on the
but declared they can get no
where. Mr.. White made a strong plea
for the women to stand by the pri-
mary law and see that it is not made
THE convention does not pick the
most able men for governor" he de-
clared. The convention plan is
merely practical game of horse-trad-
ing in which sla-~s are made out
without consideration of Qualifica-
ions"
utter disregard for the TAXPAYERS.
by Governor-elect Jonatho Davis in
an address Before the dele ties to the 4
conference of the Kansa- league of
Voters.
Taxes in Kansas hav increased
everywhere, because the machinery of
he government has been built up
without reasonable regard" he said. |
One thing has been graft and the
other. liberality of spending the other
fellows money. In this country we |.
used to work under a government
hat thought in thousands, but now
We think in millions and billions.
''These extra things all can be re-
fused and the e ira element in the
cost of government will be taken out
4 the legislature will support such a
plan.
I'VE have to stand for a reduction /,
Of state expenses, and have no ex- /,
oenses in government for political
parties, or for the advancement of
personal ambitions. In this
program I want the cooperation OF
he women"
He took a determines stand on the
issue. II shall try to make
he people understand there will be no
backward steps in the observance OF J
he laws of Kansas and especially in
he laws dealing with prohibition"
he said.