Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1922-04-07
THE PRIMARY DELEGATE EIEc
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Costly Farce

Thief River Falls" 'Times:--It cost
the taxpayers in the city Of Thief
River Falls about two dollars for every
vote cast in the primary delegate elec-
ton held last week and the only rea-
son the. expense was not las great in
the country was that it so happened
township elections were held on the
same day. Any way Eone looks at 1t
the result fails to justify the expense:
If this election served any good
good purpose it has not yet become
known. A number of delegates we're
elected to attend state and district
conventions at their own expense for
the purpose Of placing in nomination
certain candidates to be voted on at
the primaries in JuDe. Only one can
didate for each office will be so placed
in nomination and the primary will
consequently serve only to ratify the
action of state and district conven-
tions. Any action taken by these
conventions will be binding so far as
the party organization is concerned,
and anyone wishing to run in the pri-
maries will be effectively barred. If
this is not the case, of what value was
the original convention1 -s~
There are almost as: many election
days in Minnesota this year as holi-
days in Mexico. Most people were
satisfied there were enough with only
the direct primary and the general
election without adding this early
spring farce to the list. Nothing was
settled by it and but few knew exactly
what it meant. The taxpayer simply
foots another bill Of expense without
being in the least benefited. The un.
Outstanding ones may have been mild
ly amused over the whole thing, but
that is the extent of it's value.
1t is safe to say that not ten per
cent. Of those who voted for delegate
at the caucuses preceding the conven-
ton had any idea of what that dele,
vote when the time came for him to
express the preference Of the voters in
the precinct he represented. He had
no mandate from them to stand g. by
any certain man or measure and was
left to suit his/ow sweet inclination
in this respect, there being nothing to
prevent his going diametrically oppo
site to the wishes of the majority Of
his neighbors in case he so saw fit. On
ly by hearsay or direct questioning
could his opinions be ascertained be-
fore his vote was cast in the conven-
ton, and as neither policy, nor prin-
ciple were involved in his selection in
the first place there was no check of
any kind upon his action. The whole
thing is joke.
It would seem as if legislators
should have learned something from
the presidential primary iasco and
steer as far as possible away from
anything which needlessly complexities
the selection of candidates or the cleo
ton Of officials. The simpler the pro-
ceeding is made, the more likely it is
to be free from Objectionable features.
The legislature should improve this
primary delegate election law by re-
pealing it entirely. 9
Milaca Times:-The pre- primary
convention farce aroused very little
interest mong the voters of Mile Laos
county and not one-tenth Of the voters
Of the county took any notice Of it at
the polls.
The pre-primary convention scheme
was passed through the last legisla-
ture by Gov. Rreus and his adherents
in an effort to destroy the primary
election law and reduce the power of
the people in state politics. It enabled
small clique Of politicians in the
state to control party nominations. It
has cost the taxpayers Of the state
thousands Of dollars to carry the farce
through, and there was no demand for
such 9 law from the people Of the
state. Il
THIS TOO WILL PASS,
editorial BY Bruce Barton, il ST.
Cloud Times.
Last summer when pessimism was
every where, . l-iinf o1med man told
me that the busiipess Dispersion world
last for seyeral
mmed iately md
II rs n