The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-06-03
PARTY IDENTIFICATION

!
If it is found advisable to revert to
the strange and ominous situation oc-
casioned in American politics by the
introduction of the primary as the de-
cisive agency in expressing public
opinion and in choice of executive and
judicial officers, it is because the
symptoms of disorder and of danger
to the state are even more serious
than we had supposed. The press Of
the country has paid but little atten-
ton to what Is going on, being in gen.
eral satisfied to say that the primary
is a popular movement and remedy
for the voice of the old convention sys-
TEN. Few students observe that at its
worst the convention system did actu-
ally define party issues and gave the
people a chance to choose and say
what they wanted done and what sort
of policy they expected to see carried
into effect, in short, that it presented
the party's program and the issue Of
the day in concrete shape, just as a
case is made up in court and presented
to the jury for decision. Also it had
authority and power to keep party
members in line, and in a measure
faithful to the party's program and
pledge made to the people before the
election. Today there is no such care
full alignment, and no longer any au-
thority to reward or to punish in the
name of the party. AS an influential
journal in Senator Borahs state says,
ANY man who can carry Republican
primary is Republican" and 1t does
not matter what are his principles,
for he may even be a free-trade and
League of Nation Democrat, or
communist or bolshevist, if he car
ried his Republican primary he would
still be Republican! Of course, the
same would be true of the man carry
ing the Democratic primary, and one
may well ask what is the meaning of
a primary conducted under such con-
ditions, or has it any meaning?
The subject has not received the at
tention it deserves, but the editorial
comment of the New York Times
shows that the light is breaking
through in place where it may en-
tighten. that newspaper saying:
In Wisconsin, Mr.. LaFollette
has the cooperation of the So
cialists and of divers associations
and leagues whenever he needs
them in his business. The great
est intellectualist in Michigan,
Republican in his antecedents,
carried the Democratic senatorial
primaries with a whoop. In num-
Der of states the presidential pri-
maries were notorious jokes. In
some states, Democrats try to Sc
cure by their votes the nomina-
ton of the Republican candidate
whom they think weakest and Re-
publicans seek to return the COM
pliment.
How much of the present con-
fusion, vagueness, disgruntlement
and division of parties is due to
the direct primary? If anybody
who can carry Republican pri-
maries is Republican, anybody
| who can carry Democratic pri-
maries a Democrat, what is the
use of being a Republican or
Democrat? The names mean
nothing. In place of representa-
tive party government is a shift
ing hodge-podge of personalities
and policies. That such system,
or want of it, should breed cranks
and come-outers was inevitable.
Group government at Washing
ton, free-forall primaries in
many states, political disorganiza-
ton, wholesale and retail. 1t is a
fine succession of transformation
scenes.
The conclusion alone seems made
quate. Not the scene but the prob
able effect is what should be consid-
cred, and must be, if the voice of the
people Is to be heard in an intelligent
way and the best opinion have its re-
Election in the government and law
making departments. We cannot safe
ly trust to a Shifting hodge-podge Of
personalities and policies" for the con-
duct of public affairs. We profess to
fear should sovietism get control here,
but what Is sovietism but precisely
this hodge-podge which the Times de-
scribes and ridicules?