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Show : The P : m Trumpeter vJ THE UTAH DIRECT PRIMARY LAW The Utah Direct Primary Law Is a monument to the states- " maiifhip of tlie Democratic party In Utah. This law was " enacted In 1937, and although a few minor changes have Jeen nuide, it is substantially the same now as when it I was first enacted. It provides that the voters, rather than party conventions, nominate the candidates for each party, and if any candidate on either ticket does not get a majority g in the primary, then we must have a run-off primary be- twoen the two hljfhest candidates on that ticket. Then, of course, In the fall we have our regular election. This means three elections Instead of one. The theory of the M. law is that it prevents the politicians from choosing M Xhelr candidates In the back of a smoke-filled room and -jfives the people the power to choose. This theory is g typical of many New Deal theories it looks noble and f pure on iiper, but it just doesn't make sense in practice. . However, that seems to make little difference to the New Dealers. If it is idealistic, then that is enough; It doesn't M matter whether it works or not The Democrats have had ! si substantial majority in our legislature ever since the hill was enacted, but they have not only failed to do i anything about making the system work better, they have m liilled Republican bills which have attempted to do so. g This is so even though most talk on the street Is against H Uie law. We can say of this law what Mark Twain said f the weather, "everybody talks about it, but nobody does anything about it". The reason this law does not make sense is be- cause any Tom, Dick or Harry in the state can file : for any office he chooses, and if by fair means or fowl he can hoodwink enough voters to support him he be-,- comes the nominee regardless of his qualifications. Instead of taking politics out of elections, it embroils :M us in politics to an extent never known before. For example, this year candidates had to file by May 31st. That means they had to electioneer and campaign from a tn tha nHmarv nn .Tnlv 11th. Those who survived ' must go on campaigning until November. If a man i Ssn't widely known, or hasn't a lot of money, or hasn't ;j a faithful poltical machine back of him, regardless of v his ability, he is licked before he starts. Then, too, under the law, a man has only forty days Irom the time candidates can file until the primary. It M puts an impossible burden on him to cover 25 counties like we have in our Congressional district, or to cover the state. If the theory is right that the people should make these .. .decisions instead of their delegates in a convention, them a ; -why don't the New Dealers have the people make every ' law and ordinance instead of having legislature and city councils do it? Ridiculous? Of course. We must act through chosen representative, even in minor matters in most of our affairs, and usually they can do a better job a than in any other way. In political conventions they try '.m to "balance the ticket" and give different sections of the state fair representation; they try to select men they be- j 'J 3ieve can be elected and re-electd and they do it without m dime of expense to the taxpayers. Now, each election 9 costs our poor little county over a thousand dollars, so when we have three elections, instead of one, it is a pretty expensive theory we ore coddling. The Republicans this year have taken a stand not only to amend the primary Ji law, but to do away with It if they get a chance. We a believe a big majority of the taxpayers are praying that a we wm do so. But nothing can be done unless we are ,mm It, TTtinh- sn. Mr. Taxnaver. If vou want to get rid of the primary law, you know how to do It I If a majority of the people actually selected candi- dates according to their best judgment, perhaps the ex- pense would be justified. But that doesn't happen. Nor- mally in a primary only about a third of the regular voters ,m vote. This gives minority groups like some of the state a employees, the labor unions, or some other groups who a know which side their bread is butter on, the opportunity a to pack the primaries for their overlord, or lackey, which-ever which-ever term you prefer, and it gives their candidate such . - a big advantage that perhaps a more honest, capable man 5s snowed under, but the henchmen of the successful candi- M date can cry "the people have spoken". A discussion about the merits of the direct primary law might sound good in a high school text book, but M when the high school kids get out in the big, bad world, m they wonder why their education was neglected. a Paid Political ad. by Washington County Republican Comm.) M B iiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiBiBiegi |