Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-09
AL SMITHS ATTACK
ON DIRECT PRIMARY
MEETS D|SFAVOR
Comment of Leaders of Both
Parties in Main Is
UnfavorabIe.
PROPOSAL CRITICIZED
SEVERELY BY CARAWAY
D. I. Walsh Is Against Change.
Progressives, Meeting Soon,
Like Present Plan.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The attack on the direct primary
system Of selecting candidates fer nom.
nation for public Office, made yesterday
by Alfred e. Smith, Democratic nominee
for President in 1928, brought an i'm
mediate response today from members of
Congress in beth political parties. In
the main, they declared that the pri-
mary system is far better than the old
caucus and convention.
The declaration by former Gov. Smith
that the direct primary system had not
been a success and that something
should be done to get away from it and
back to representative form of govern
ment, contained in an article by Gov.
Smith widely published Is, however, in
line with an address delivered several
weeks ago by Representative viii Wood
of Indiana, chairman of the Republi.
can Congressional Campaign Commit
tee. The Republican leader, like Gov.
Smith, assailed the primary as de-
structive Of party government. Like the
Democratic leader. Mr.. Wood insisted
that only a small percentage of the
voters really takes q hand in bringing
about the nomination OF a candidate
for ONCE.
La Toilette Voices Views.
Senator Robert NJ. La Toilette, jr., of
Wisconsin, Progressive Republican and
an active member of the committee
which has called the Progressive con-
ference which meets here Wednesday,
said today:
THE direct primary system and the
direct election Of Senator's have been
of great value. They have made the
Senate more responsive to the viii of
the people and less responsive to pri-
vate interests. 1t would be a great
vention system Of nominating candi-
dates for ONCE. Conventions are
easily manipulated. Such step would
be backward and not forward"
Caraway AssaiIs Proposal.
Senator David ]. Walsh Of Massacllu-
sets, a liberal Democrat, a strong sup
porter of Gov. Smith in the last cam
paign. today declared himself for the
II.
Democrat, severely criticised Gov.
Smiths proposal to return TO the con-
vention system. Senator Capper OF
Kansas, Republican. said that the pro-
posal to do away with the direct primary
was ''undemocratic."
The launching of this attack on the
primary system comes on the eve of the
meeting of the Progressive conference"
in Washington, called by group of
10
some of whom supported Gov Smith IN
the 1928 campaign, among them Sena-
tor Norris of Nebraska. The primary
system is dear to the Progressive heart.
Gov. Smith, however, has the cour-
age of his convictions. What effect his
declaration against the primary system
may have on his own political future
cannot be Immediately forecast. But to
some of the politicians here Gov.
Smiths attack on the primary seemed
clear evidence that he was not to be
candidate for the Democratic presi-
Dental nomination next year.
Senator WaIsh's Comment.
Commenting upon the primary sys-
tenn, Senator Walsh of Massachusetts
said today:
while I have been disappointed In
some of the results that have followed
since the adoption of the primary sys-
tenn yet I am not prepared to abolish
it and return to the old convention
system The primary system may not
give us always as intellectual or COM
placent personalities as the convention
system but, in my opinion, it gives the
people freezer public servants"
Senator Carsway Of Arkansas was far
more severe in his criticism of the at
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