Evening star., 1926-09-20
Offers Substitute
for Primary System.
BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

rOrIHer Assistant secretary OIL the navy.
The Simon-pure primary tends to
break down teamplay in a party. If
teamplay breaks down and an inco-
herent individualism is substituted
therefor. l fear the result will be
party system fails, we will find our
selves in the condition of the bloc
controlled Parliaments of Europe.
There are many States which have
a Simonpure direct primary that they
do not wish to change. In such
States there should be passed at once
a drastic corrupt practices act
based on the British. If there had
been such an act in Pennsylvania and
Illinois, there would have been no
need for investigation.
X X X x
Personally 1 prefer nominating ma
chtnery which preserves the conVen-
tion as a part of the system. AS l
see it, there are many advantages
that accrue to a convention if it Is
properly handled. 1t is more delib-
erative than a primary can possibly
be. 1t can, therefore, weigh all as
poets of situation and select candi-
dates and advocate measures after a
fuller consideration of the issues in
VOlved. A man also has no great ex-
penditures in submitting his name to
q convention. Therefore, a poor man
can be a candidate for nomination
without being faced with impossible
expenses. Above ALL a party plat
form can be- adopted which furnishes
q consistent plan of action for the
party If returned. Such a platform
tends to hold the party together and
fn CiUa fn oil 6afinitn OCQJ IT
makes for continuity and accomplish
ment more effectively than a Simon
pure primary, where every man has
created his own platform and where,
as often is the case, candidates with
different views are nominated for diff
ferent offices by the same party.
The faults of the convention system
lie in the fact that it is perfectly pos
sible for the delegates at q conven-
ton to ignore the wishes Of the rank
and file in the party. An improperly
controlled convention can force on
the rank and file of the party the
choice either of voting for men whom
they distrust or throwing the election
to their political opponents. Because
of the comparatively small number
which compose it, g. convention also
lends itself to improper manipulation
and control
X X X
We do not want to sacrifice the evil
dent virtues Of a convention, and, on
the other hand, we do not want to
countenance the evils that spring
from it. What we need, therefore, is
workable means for controlling the
convention by the people. We need,
so to speak, a veto power on the ac-
- 81 fir1Cr NIr1t h
the voters Of the party. This can be
accomplished in a number of ways.
The method I prefer is that of holding
a regular party convention, the dele
gates to which are selected either by
the county committees or as we Sc
lect them now. This convention then
adopts a platform ard selects candi-
dates. The candidates, however, are
designated, not nominated. After the
convention the primary is held. To
this primary the candidates selected
by the convention are submitted and
either nominated or rejected.
There are some who advocate the
identical plan outlined above. with the
single exception that instead of max
ing the primary mandatory, they
from a specified number of people.
Such a system will, / believe, pre-
serve the virtues of both the conven-
ton and the primaries. The people
can, if they wish, upset the conven-
ton choices. Such a contingency will
act as a check on the convention. On
the other hand, unless the choices of
the convention are glaringly at fault.
there will generally be no contest in
the primaries, and so the expense and
turmoil Of contested primaries will be
avoided.
Such a plan as I have outlined an
swers our purposes, for it preserves
the virtues of the conventions, checks
their vices and places a final veto in
the hands of the people, to be used at
any time they see fit.
copyright. I926)