The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-07-12
THE NOMINATING SYSTEM

The high Importance of the pow
er TO control or dictate nomina-
tions for political office Is dwelt
upon by Mr.. Kent in his recent
book, which is SO close study OF
the workings Of party machine.
He attributes to this power a
very large part Of the strength OF
a city boss, ranking the ability to
nominate even above that to elect.
The boss may now and then lose
an election, but If he still retains.
and is known to retain, such hold
upon his party organization as will
place in his hands the naming OF
al. the important candidates in the
next election, his grip may con-
tinue unbroken.
We have seen this truth illustrat-
ed again and again in New York.
The late Boss Murphy frequently
suffered disastrous defeats at the
polls, but so long as he could so on
designating nominations for judge
ships, for Congress, even for the
sovernorship, he came up smiling
after each of the electoral beatings
which were expected to break his
power.
This kind of close-corporation
control in national politics long
since passed away. No one man,
no small group of men, can now
decide beforehand who is to be
nominated as President
The abolition of the old unit rule
in the Republican Party and it's
partial abandonment by the Demo
Gratis have brought about cOndl-
tons which may not be satisfactory
in all respects, but which, at all
events, have made an end OF the
open and unblushing boss system,
as exhibited on the federal stage.
The existing gods Of the ma
chine have to be more refined and
secretive in their methods. The
avowed and even brutal dictation
Of other days would not be tolerat-
ed now. At least this amount OF
credit must be given to the later
forms of the national convention.
Not even its stoutest defenders,
however, could maintain that it is
@ wholly admirable institution
which functions we'll. Both at
Cleveland and New York this year
things were done to make the judi
cious grieve.
A foreign observer planted in a
national convention to study the
ways OF the American democracy
in action would certainly get some
disagreeable impressions. He
would see the delegates too often
conducting themselves like either
crazy people or small children.
He would, eetsan immense amount
OF time and energy abolutely vast
ed
If he were asked to mention any
political organization on earth
| which seemed so inefficient, so Of
| ten absurd, 80 frequently paralyzea
as national convention in the
| United States. he would not know
where to find it.. d
The thing is not always SO bad
as it seems. Behind the silly dem
onstrations, the empty speeches
ard the enthusiastic marching up
hill only to march down again
there usually exists a definite pur-
pose and a movement of concen-
tration which in the end have their
way. Often a happy result leads
the public to forget or pardon the
most unhappy preliminaries.
Yet something ought to be done
to remove the impression OF aim
less dawdling or insincere and in
tantile manifestations which al
most regularly mark the first days
of Il national convention.
One cow ntion cannot. of course
bind it's successor. But it might
recommend a few sensible rules
and get the national committee also
10 urge them. for the purpose OF
preventing the grosser abuses and
the fantastic and futile perform
arces which occur under the pres
ent system.
1t might be provided that ap.
p'arse for any candidate should
not be allowed to exceed five min
utes. Some of the things which
happened in New York last week
strongly indicate that the nationa,
convention is in need of being
saved from it's own professeG
eriends.-New York Times.