Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1943-04-22
The Primary System
Versus
The Convention

Editor Fred Schilplin, in his St.
Cloud Times, comments:
There is no question that our
present primary system is a
ready made instrument for the
machine politicians and political
racketeers Under it the rank
and file of the electorate have
less control over party organiza-
ton than ever before. Under it
any gifted political operator can
retain the office of governor as
long as his personal ambitions
lie in that direction. Under it a
Farmer-Labor governor named
his successor and presently
Republican governor is going to
do the same"
Undoubtedly there are arguments
for and against the primary election
system as there are arguments for
and against the convention.
If political leaders under the con-
vention system did not become bosses
with control of patronage and other
abuses there would be greater ad-
herence to that system. Nomination
for state and local offices through
conventions was cast aside because
the conventions got away from the
people and actions were Unanswered
by relatively small groups Nomin-
alton to public office by direct vote
of the people may have its faults but
is much to be preferred over the
convention nomination.
The convention nomination at
the best is brought about by a
few hundred delegates while the
primary nomination is made by
the thousands, yes hundreds of
thousands of voters casting their
secret ballots at the pOlls-the
voice of the people.
Without the nomination of good
candidates the people will not have
the opportunity to choose qualified
public officials at the general cleo
ton.
Those who are for the convention
system argue that it makes the can
didates responsible to the political
party. 1t is true that under that
system there can be, and probably is,
more responsibility to the political
party. But if the party is run by
bosses it is far better that the can
didate be directly responsible to the
larger group-the people-who NOM
mate him.
Convention adherents may also
argue that the convention has its
inception with the people, for dele
gates are chosen in precinct caucuses
to the county convention, and in
turn the county meeting chooses
delegates to the district and the state
convention. One can readily recall
that most of those precinct caucuses
were attended only by those individ-
uals who desired to be delegates to
the succeeding conventions. Few if
any other voters of the party at
tended the caucuSes. The county
chairman was the man usually asked
by higher-ups to see to it that the
right" delegates were picked from
the various precincts.
Then the kind of candidates who
would submit to the dictates of the
party bosses were nominated at the
state convention. This, it is true, is
the dark picture of the convention
system.
If the people, the voters of the
respective political parties, had really
turned out to the initial step, the
caucus, there would have been much
improvement, but that was not the
case. The convention drifted to the
politicians and the political bosses,
and hence the primaries with direct
nomination of candidates by vote of
the people, and with less coercion.
1t is true that not all voters
turn out to primary elections to
nominate candidates on their re-
spective political party tickets,
though they should. But the
usual so per cent primary vote
in Minnesota is more represen-
tative of the people than the
few hundred delegates at a state
convention.
1t is we'll to keep the primaries
until something better is evolved.
Political party conventions can be
continued for the purpose of adopting
platforms and without nominating
candidates. If they want to endorse
candidates, that can be done, but
this must not be something to be
showed down the Threats of the peo-
pie. Nominations are made at the
IL