Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-07-12
THE PRIMARY ELECTION TAKES
PLACE OF THE CONVENTION


Under the present system split
ting the ticket can not be done at a
Primary we heard a number of people
say that they wanted to vote for
Henrik Shipstead for United States
senator and Theodore ChristiansOn
for governor. This could not be done
as each voter is given the choice of
only one party ballot and then the
No-Party ballot.
AS all know Mr.. Shipstead was 4
candidate for the nomination Of
United States senator on the Farmer
Labor ticket and Mr.. Christianson
was candidate for the nomination of
governor on the Republican ticket.
In the first place we must remem-
Der that the Primary election is net
much more than a caucus. 1t is
what was formerly left in the hands
of conventions. Instead Of delegates
converting to select list of candi-
dates for their respective tickets to
be voted on at the fall election it is
now left open for candidates to file
their own names for the nomination
and all voters of each party to do the
nominating. The Primary election
takes the place of the conventions.
1t is only natural to assume that
the voters who affiliate themselves
mostly with the Republican ticket
should try to select the strongest men
as nominees of that party at the Phi
mary election, the same holds true of
the Farmer-Labor voters and the
Democrats. This year, however,
there was no contest for nomination
on the state Democratic ticket as
there was but one filing for each
office. If for instance each voter at
the Primary election could take ali
three ballots-the Republican, Far
mer-Labor and Democratic with
him to the booth, there is a strong
possibility that the Republican might
try to select the weakest candidates
as nominees on the Farmer-Labor
and Democratic tickets, and likewise
the Farmer-Labor and Democratic
voters might try to select the weak
est candidates as nominees on the Re-
publican ticket. With the weakest
Farmer-Labor candidates nominated
at the Primaries the Republicans
would go to the polls in the General
election in the fall with greater as
surance of going over the top with
their ticket; and vice versa.
Under our form of government it is
likely quite necessary to have pol
itical parties, and so when the voter
goes to the polls at the Primary cleo
tion it is up to him to try to select
the best and strongest men as NOM
inees of the parry that he is most
closely allied with. Each of the three
parties have certain fundamental
principles that they stand for and
with the necessary large list of can
didates to be balloted upon it is
reasonable to assume that the aver
age voter cannot know all of the
candidates personally and must there
fore do his balloting, in a measure at
least on the party basis. A candi-
date on the Farmer-Labor ticket nat
urally adheres more closely to the
principles set forth in the platform
of that party, so with a Republican
candidate as regards the platform of
that party, and likewise a Democrat.
If candidates for state, congression-
al and national offices did not have
the party label attached to their
names it would be difficult for tie
voters to make a choice in view of
the many offices to be balloted upon.
When it comes down to the more
local offices and where the voters are
personally acquainted with the candi-
dates, it is a different proposition
For instance offices like county aud
itor, register of deeds, county COM
missioner, and many others, it makes
no difference what party they belong
to, they are not to do any legislating.
1t is here more a matter of selecting
men who have had enough training,
who are honest and can fill the Job
as it should be filled.
But coming back to the original ar
gument about some folks wanting to
vote for both Christianson and
Shipstead at .ine primaries. From all
appearances the Republicans did Sc
lect their strongest candidate for
governor when Mr.. Christianson was