The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-09-03
BY ARTHUR H. PHILLIPS
Member

Order of Railroad Telegraphers
The voters in Ohio will have a
chance at the next regular election,
November End, to strike an effective
blow at one of the worst enemies of
the common people-the boss-rule
political system. On that day they
will have the question put up to them,
in ballot form, as to whether their
candidates shall be nominated by the
people at the primary election, or by
crooked politicians at convention.
. The proposed amendment to do
away with the direct primary is one
of the most subtle pieces of legisla-
tion that has been before the voters
in many years. 1t is an attempt to
scrap our referendum machinery and
return to the convention system
where the candidates Of big business
can be hand picked. The primary has
proved too uncertain for them. They
want something that can be manipu-
lated to their own satisfaction.
If any one has the least doubt as
to the logic of this statement, let
them consider the class of people who
started the movement and the inter-
ests that are working so hard to
bring about the change. Further
more, we know that if they would
spend millions of dollars to corrupt
the electorate, as they have in recent
primaries, the convention with a few
delegates to handle would be much
more desirable.
AS an outstanding example of con-
ventional politics we will consider the
Iowa election, where the republican
voters were SO outrageously repud-
lated.
Owing to a vacancy created in the
United States senate by the death of
Senator Cummins, short-term SEN
ator had to be selected. By all that
is fair and honest the place should
have gone to Smith w. Brookhart
who was nominated for the long term
by an enormous plurality. But, un-
der the law, selection of this kind
must be made by convention, and
Brookhart, not acceptable by the con-
vention bosses, was rejected. So it
is plain to be seen what would always
happen to the peoples candidates
should the primary be abolished.
Their chief complaint is, that the
primaries are too expensive. We agree
that they are somewhat expensive to
the politicians, when conducted as
some were recently.
The worst fault to be found in the
primary-this being decidedly in their
favor-is it's limitations with regard
to confining the voters to one particu-
lar party. 1t should be non-partisan
the same as the regular election, per-
hitting one to support any candidate
regardless of party label. But with
all of it's failings, and the fact that
comparatively few people take advan-
tage of this right, it is, like the fire
escape, a good thing to have around
when needed.
1t has been observed that the vot.
ers take special interest OCCASION
ally in some particular issue of can
didate, and go to the primary polls
to support them, but with the pri
mary destroyed, this privilege woult
be denied.
Every American citizen should be
proud to voice his sentiments and con
victions at every opportunity, ant
oppose any move that tends to alien
ate his rights or curtail his strength
in public activities.
In this respect particular attention
should be called to the effect publ,
sentiment has had in the development
of progressive governments.
The voice of the people has
throughout the ages, been a recogniz