The Nome daily nugget., 1936-05-25
FORMING PARTY OPINION

In the several States the laws provide varied ma chnery for testing and expressing the sentiment of pol ica parties Most of it lies readiest to the hands of members of the regular organizations They know how to operate the apparatus Party primaries and even Presidential preference primaries are to them little more than added cards with which to play the old po- tca game In any contest they start out with in- itial advantage.
 This is not wrong and unfair as some would make it out to be. If we to have government by political parties in this country is fitting that leaders in the various States and subdivisions thereof should be facilitated in discovering and directing party opin- ion. This was fully explained by MT. Hughes when he was Governor of New York and was urging law for party primaries in the state of New York He frankly admitted that, general rule, the established party authorities would find 1t easy to confirm and strengthen their control through primary elections. At the same time as Governor Hughes pointed out were pro- Vided in the law by which revolt within the party Ii strong enough could overthrow the old leadership and set up Such revolution within the party means hard work and takes time and money to be successful. partial revolt of that kind was at- tempted within the Republican party recently but fail ed completely to make of the Primary Law to out vote the leaders.
 good deal of this political machinery is combr- ous sometimes appears utterly needless and has questionaby disappointed the hopes of the reformers who the troubles to which President Roosevelt has been put got it authorized by satute Consider for exam pie, by the party primary laws. His renomination is 
 ought not to require of him that he lift finger Yet he has been compelled to make application in several States for the recording of his candidacy the official ballot with full list of his petitioners designated dele gates etc. There Republican States and districts in which the superfuty of the Primary Laws equally apparent Mere routine steps, they have to be taken nevertheless
 Primaries have mainly to do with nominations for office In that respect this years Presidential cam paign presents to the Republican party situation which is rather novel of it. For many years in suc- cession the Republican nomination for the Presidency was as good election That made party fights in the national convention prolonged and bitter, as was the in 1920 of doubtful result up the very last minute, as happened in 1928. But in 1886 the party leaders not so keen in working for given nomina- tion. They are thinking much of the election to follow They are quite that certain kind of nomination, on certain kind of platform, would be worth no ones seeking or having The consequence is that the primary contests this year apt to be rather sprtless with all the emphasis of the campaign thrown forward to June when will be necessary to nominate some candidate whom the party believes to have a chance of being elected
 Meanwhile political students may devote themsel- yes to the observation of party opinion in the process of formation It should prove for many fascinating study in mass mentality No can now say that the Republican party whole has fixed choice for Pres ldentia candidate How does the conviction spread from one man to another from one State to another that the party needs and hopes may best be met by