The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1922-05-21
Clancy Proposes
A Remedy for Our
Primary Elections

III AONNN " " WV 49, ~ -
the dlabolicai invention known as
direct prlmaries. have been
Intending TO write you n line OF
congratuiation. Tho fact that you
changed your mind on this subject.
II an indication of open-minded
ness. and shows that you are not
afflicted with I'M petty desire 20
he consistent. have never
thought that you had n small mind
and Il has been In my memory Tor
many years that Consistency ~
the vice Of small minds, hut I
find upon reference To the stand
ard dictionary. that Emerson. per
hans better expressed Il, wher he
said that "A foolish consistency n
the bohgoblin Of little minds"
some years ago when ! attcmp'
ed 10 arouse you 90 realisation ~
the worthless character Of direct
primaries. ] met with no succoss.
hut I did not attribute thai to any
bitterness 81 mind OF Your part, but
rather to q not discreditable ineriln,
due to natural conservatism. which
led you 10 dlstrust the Suggestions
which ! made rs to practicable im-
provomeni In our election machin-
cry. and "a predisposltion TO regnTl
mvornbiy what was widely urged
AZ q Of reform. by earnest
and honest advocates like our
friend Judge Kodey. There II
certainly something attractivc
about the general idea Of direct
primaries. For Instance. " we had
such things In New Mexico.
might he able To gel, the machinery
In m~ion through which could
appeal 20 my fehow-repnhlicans "a
make me their candidate Tor
rnlted states senator. but u has
been found tina; the real political
leaders. who create and control
parry organization. do not lose any
Of their power Of party control hy
the ihiishment of direct prl-
mIrics. The advocates OF such
chanre appear ia despise the or
gnniznUon man. hut without or
%gnuizaton. they find themselves
rs helpless with direct primarier ns
they ARE with the convention sys-
tenn Of making nominations. Those
earnest refnrmers who assail and
appear to despise organizing poll
ticians. never make any proFrosa
until they set up an organization 81
their own. An earnest and honest
mob can make hut little headway
against the well trained and dis
ciplined army
our convention system Ia moro In
harmony with u general frame
OF representative government. he
ing based upon the idea OF Tho
voters. who when assembled will
confer as 10 what IL hest for their
marty and for the public. and nv
conference OF many different minds
somethIng more approaehins rea-
sonabIe action can be expected
than nv resort 10 tho disorderly
and unregulated methods Of the
direct primaries.
The foundation Of the eonven.
lion avstem 4. 10 he founa IN M.
nrima.v election OF deI.xat.s ~
countv or disirio, co-nv.ntions ami
n N a mc, thaf thor. hava h.an -,
,lm.. grea, ahu.os in fhe rorJor,
~ s,ch nrImarv eiec,ions as Uni,
80 4 49,. 900 tn 100000 49,.
In Inc cI,v ~ AIhnoueroue s.be..
had condi,to,,s nm ~ H. a s,sa,
Vent rcmedl.a ~ nroner cnn,rol
~ the urinary eiectIons of dale,
yates vii In a. f.w wordl i.
no.sthte AMI. IN von IN. r.r,.d&
wbIrh 4 hav. fnr wars adyo,a,.si
linus lar w, hout success w,r,ti
have the legislature bv stntuts
proyide that All urinary electlon,
OF delegates for ali political
| parties. should be held on I'M
same day throughout the state md
al the same place in each yotI,m
precinct. with Judges and Jerks ul
| elections. appointed in the sams
manner that such officers are "a.
pointed for the genera ~slectio,,s
with a separate bailot box nnd
poll book for each party so that ne
adherent OF one party could haNs
any voice In the selection OF fhs
| delegates of any other marty
There should he q registration 81
voters before the primary elections
which for u variety of good r.an.
sons. might be made The hasis OF
the later registration for the cleo,
ton Itself. the sam realstraliot
board being authorized "a meet al
proper times before the election,
for the revision OF the regiatrntiJt
liat. The delegates thus elected
could meet In county or district
conventions for the purposs al
nominating district or count,
officers. and for the -selectlon III
4 delegates 10 the state -onyrntion
A do not undertake "a ssv ,.,.,
such a system would d,nrty. nsr,,
leaders and organizer of tna,,
power In their RESPECTIVE parti.s
nor can ! think that q would b.
desirable to do SO; but 1t woui,