PRIMARY ELECTION LAW

PRIMARY ELECTION LAW

Is One Essential to True Democratic Government

ENOUGH BOSSISM

It will Relieve the Acutest Attack of Bossophobia Says a Correspondent

The following communication which very aptly describes the condition of republican politics In Washtenaw, has been handed in by a well known local republican:

The proverbial indifference of educated and scholarly men to the needs of reform in everyday political affairs was never demonstrated more clearly than in the peaceful somnolence of our cultured community, at a time when the citizens of busy, commercial cities are clamoring tor radical changes in the method of nominating candidates city, county, state and federal offices.

The city of Grand Rapids groaned and sweated under the dreadful incubus of an unreliable and defaulting mayor, and considered with keen misgivings his probable re-election, until suddenly oue of their wide-awake citizens discovered that they could make use of a model system of primary elections, and permit the individual to get a whirl at the wheel of state, without the intervention of any gang of so-called representative delegates, and, behold! Mayor Perry was swiftly and easily relegated to a back seat, and the hitherto unknown and insignificant voter had the delight of feeling that he lived under democratic form of government, where his personal wish and desire was respected.

Detroit is becoming very weary of the frequent assemblies of venal delegates, called a city or county convention, whose chief business is to size up the barrels of the respective candidates for office; and her respectable citizens of both parties are proposing a system of primary elections, whereby the individual citizen may at one and the same time, select his delegates to a convention and instruct those delegates for whom of the various candidates for office they shall cast their nominating ballots, when assembled in convention halls.

The immense charm of this system is that in this manner every citizen may register his choice of candidates for every office, and not as is now the style, elect a set of delegates pledged to vote for one candidate for a particular office, and free to vote for the highest bidder for every other office; that is to say for the great majority of the ticket.

Under the present delightful (?) arrangement, the candidate for one office selects a list of delegates in each precinct who are pledged to him, and by judicious packing of the primaries secures the election of his chosen delegates, and thus ensures his nomination for the office he covets; but as for the candidates for the other offices, the principle of "the devil take the hindmost" is in full play.

In times past, violent dissensions have sprang up between the "goody-goody" section of the G. O. P. and the quality known as "Rough Riders" for the reason, particularly, that the colonel of the latter company has insisted on voting his men straight, in blocks of fifty, or a hundred, or more, as he has deemed best; but, however despotic and destructive of all individual choice, this method may have been, it was noticeable in the last joyful reunion of the cat and dog factions of the republican party, that the same vile practice was employed and the free and Independent delegates from the various sections of the county were granted the free choice of voting the ticket already selected and printed for them by the Red Chieftain, or of entirely refraining from voting. Some unsophisticated country delegates were observed to choose the latter course. But that stalwart republican, who, on a former occasion, summoned all collarless republicans to follow him to his rump convention, now quietly submitted his neck to the yoke, and kissed his similibus curantur," or enough bossism will certainly relieve an acute attack of "bossophobia."

Why may not the electors of our highly educated community raise from their lethargy and fall into line with the men of Grand Rapids and Detroit in demanding the privilege of selecting candidates for office by popular vote? It is the one essential to a true democratic government. It is the one feature of the pure Australian ballot which Is now lacking. It has been proven by actual trial in various cities to be perfect in its operation and so satisfying to the wants of the elector that it is sure to be incorporated in the general statutes of our state.

Why not come into our rightful heritage right now and in the coming fall elections nominate our candidates by popular vote?