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Show Direct Primaries and the Short Ballot, Unlike in Principle, Can Not Be Joined B(CR LANE The old convention system was abolished becau.se the losers always 1 bought they hud been unfairly defeated, that they would have won ii all the people hail had a chance to vote for them. In other words, the convention con-vention was corrupt and failed to record the people's choice. The remedy for Biu h wrongs for the evils of democracy was more democracy, in referring nominations to the entire party membership. Now lhat the primary has developed evils, and inasmuch as all but . ne of the candidates still continue to lose, the short balloters conclude lhat the evils can be cured by less democracy. They want to cut down Ihe number of ofliees to be filled by vote of the people, leaving the rest of the offices to be filled by appointment of the chief executive, mayor or governor or president. The theory is that the people cannot know or he expected to know the score or more of men they must vote for, and therefore the lesser offices should be filled by appointment of those elected, vho will he held responsible for the character and efficiency of the "ppointecs. Could there be any better way to promote machine politics than to confer by means of the short ballot the combined powers and prestige of many offices on the one appointing power? Will not the average voter rather delegate his political power to a convention composed of hundreds, of taxpayers, rather than to one man anxious to remain in office? Jn any event, let us think clearly and be reasonable. Let lis Tecog- nizo the absurdity of shouting "let the people rule" by direct primaries in one breath and "short ballot"' in the next. They lead in different direct ions. |
