Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1922-05-03
The Direct Primary.

The Portland Press Herald
which is making frantic efforts tC
convince its readers that the di
rect primary is responsible for, most
of the political ills of the day, has
discovered that there is one paper
in Maine that is in favor of it, In
recent issue, the Press-Herald
says
The Ellsworth American a fine type
OF a weekly newspaper published in
Hancock county raises it's voice vigor-
ously iu behalf of the direct primary
So far as we have been able to observe
it is the only newspaper in Maine
which has taken this position.
We thank the Press Herald for
its pretty little compliment. 1t is
some distinction to be the only
paper in the State not fighting the
politicians battle for the repeal of
the direct primary.
We ought to bow our head in
deferential awe that a great paper
like the Press Herald should deign
10 notice the weak voice of the
only newspaper in Maine to come
to the defense of the primary. In
deed, we do bow our head but it
is to hide a smile as we note how
sensitive is that primary spot in
every politically-controlled news
paper, and how puerile the argu-
ments against the primary
The Press-Herald wastes most
of its space trying to convince us
of what we already knew-that the
action of the two political State
conventions in adopting anti-primary
planks was not inspired by the result
of the special primary in the third
congressional district. Oh, no. po-
Mtical antipathy to the direct pri-
mary is older than the law itself in
Maine. We mentioned the third dis
trict primary merely as an illuminat-
ing illustration of why the politicians
do not like the primary. Let's see
what we can dig out of the Press
Heralds article in the shape of argu-
ment:
First the primaries have some
times nominated men who could not
command the party strength at the
polls That is the old party argu-
ment. Nominate the devil, if he can
win.
Second, the primary law is not
improving State government because
it is preventing many men from run
ming for Office who would make bet
tef legislators or officials than are
now nominated. In other words,
81 tnsn lxx,lD
tions) know better whom the people
want than the people know them
selves eve overlook the slap at all
Legislators and officials" who have
been nominated under the primary
law. That is their fight, not ours.)
Third, (bait for the rural vote)
"the primary candidates are selected
from the larger towns without re-
gard to the claims of rural towns"
Of course we all remember how
much better it was in this respect in
the old convention days.
Poppycock! Why not come right
out candidly and say it? The pri-
mary is loosening the politicians
grip on political plums. No mans
political job is safe nowadays, when
he has to satisfy all the people, in
stead of a handful of politicians.
We thank the PressHerald for
giving wider publicity to part of our
editorial If we are all alone in this
fight, we are glad to get all the pub
licity we can, We hope our big Port
land friend will be equally generous
with this.
A Westport farmer writes us;
I see by the editorial in the Press
Herald that you are defending the pri-
mary law. win you please allow me
to thank you? Not that the thanks of
Westport farmer amounts to much,
but every little helps.
l have felt all along that this attack
on the primary law was instigated by
and in the interest of the politicians,
who can control things much easier
under the convention system.
/ hope YOU will keep up the good
work | regret to say that most of
the papers in this part of the State
seem to be under the control of the
politicians.