Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-29
|NYE RAPS SMITHS
PRIMARY CRITICISM
Senator UphoIds System as
Superior to Conventions
in Radio Address.

A corrupt practices act that viii have
Nye. Republican, of North Dakota, in
an address last night in the National
Radio Forum, arranged by The Wash
| tngton Star. and broadcast over the
| coast-to-coast network Of the Columbia
Broadcasting System
| In his speech. in which he sto1tly sup
ported the direct primary, and scorch-
ingiy attacked its alterpative-the con-
vention system of nomination for public
office-the North Dakotan, who is chair
man of the Committee on Senatorial
Campaign Expenditures. declared that
huge political disbursements constitute
| one OF the most serious problems with
which we are confronted today, and one
with which the next session Of Con-
| gress must deal"
| Senator Nye's reference to campaign
expenditures was made In answer to
those critics of the direct primary who
| charge it has not been successful in
curbing lavish spending by candidates
for political post.
Cites Public Spending.
Granting this, he said, the money
must at least be spent in fun view OF
the public, thus making it possible TO
seek corrective measures.
Nye also recalled the recent attack
! on the direct primary by former Gov.
| Alfred E, Smith of New York, Demo-
cratic presidential NOMINEE in 1928,
whom he portrayed as once having been
an ardent supporter of the system, and
questioned his changed attitude.
| With the convention system" be
continued, 'the candidate without the
| favor OF bosses and corrupt political
| machines had little more than a ghost
OF chance to succeed. In few words,
the convention system offered itself to
those possessing great political power
as means to the destruction Of the
wish and viii of the people"
Traces Recent Attacks.
Referring to opponents Of the di-
rect primary, Senator Nye said that
| since the days of extreme reaction
following the World War there has been
a most persistent drive TO abolish the
direct primary and return to the dis
credited convention system"
Credit for the primary system was
given by the speaker to great pro-
and Republican parties, Theodore
Roosevelt, William Jennings Bryan,
Robert M. La Toilette and Woodrow
Wilson" Among the conservative"
supporters, he listed Chief Justice
Charles Evans Hughes. He continued:
| From time to time men who have been
| regarded as popular leaders have been
induced to attack the primary system
The most recent of these attacks is
! that delivered by Gov. Alfred e. Smith
in connection with the meeting of the
/ Democratic National Committee called
| by National Chairman John j. RaSkch
to consider the proposals for repeating
the antitrust laws and incidentally
giving the power trust. for example,
unrestrained opportunity to complete
its monopoly. Without questioning the
motive which led former Gov. Smith TO
attack this instrument of democratic
government of which he was once so
strong an advocate, 1t Is only fair to
notoe the trend Of the times In any
event. Mr. Smiths attack upon the d.
rect primary is perhaps best answered
| by quoting from the message Of Gov.
Alfred e. Smith to the New York Legis-
lature in 1925 in which he strongly
urged the restoration Of the Statewide
| primary and said:
at is a fundamental policy that no
one can question unless he Is prepared
to make the charge that the people who
elect are incapable Of nominating
Under the circumstances one is
forced to inquire OF Mr.. Smith: Have
the people become incapable since
1882"
The complete text Of Senator Nye's
address Is printed In the Editorial Sec
ton Of The Star today.