PARTIES IN AMERICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15514, 22 January 1914, Page 10

PARTIES IN AMERICA.

POLITICAL READJUSTMENT. PRIMARY ELECTION?. ',rt>--u era ow-v roaEiSPOVDiM.] vi* Fe.vv~i.~t3. December 22. A Trtß -. 11 r.g elapsed since the " regn'i- Rer-.f car, Party, under the kadcrfl -p : P.-»*;d»r.', Tift. »as v> thccooghly •-"*•».-. 'n: 'he Deavvrat* with v.he i-d ">i ... Pr;---«*.%- M by Mr Theodore P. • *»'.-» it. Republican leaders have re- ,-»-:. \*--. m.ikmj heroic efforts at re i.- uti' r.. The r.at;:.aal committee ->»•.. '.% » - . ''Vi.-.-.:..-f.". has adopted re- ' 'sa of part; pf:»dure that st is hoped * . "xx ' .jl:* the pr cressiv fa.:lico that r.- »» »•»*'. la*'. ;*i." sr.d reduced the Rer.'.. »r- 1 ;r v vl~• rt the imailest ir. :.-- -»:. -. ' the party A lugbfr - : ■ * '..•..a;, that "! r.Minj back the Pr*»i.-ien-y, w't.;h lias fc*e.i riiled by a R*r -hi.'A-. *.tr aince '.h-e civil ivir except • - ;..« terrr-*. I*. of i'"iw, claimed to & ■'"•» am main 5 caase behind ttie * :■■■ •..»■! ■<( •.,"-<• c immsttee . whether the a --*.;* •. :»r ar. be cooMnced of *ach a.-.- ;.>rc a |-<>ther setter. The big p-.'tinr ! pi't'-aan pjiitics in the United - ..i>- ..« whethet there will b? developed a .n th* pA«" two strong parti"*!!, one Con*»rt*t;--e and the «her Liberal, or *■:•;<; there are to be 1 number of CTitips. The Wilsoß Administration at f resent :s the ocly strong, coherent party in 1 -* nati«iiaj arena. The RetabhtaKs a -i t>.* F"nsgri».«:ve» a-* rivals for the b« o »jia ■'. official opposition. The Re-fibL-at.* « .'uid, of coarse, hkt to abtorb trie ProgressiTen; they refer so this p.-o-(**a .14 ' a P"t>ir-a to the iold ci those ■"--. have strayed from the pan; R. •welt ir.d otaer Progres..;v» leaders are .rair.e:. - . that there *hail be r,-. amaig»matron or dealing with such Republiva.ij a» Taft, Penrose. .Smoot. Root. Barn*», etc. The Progressives hope to attract sornViert support irvsi both the RepTjt.h,. ir , ,d Democrat rink and file t- -any the 1316 Presidential electaon. An Important Factor. Ac .mportaot factor 11 the (ztaataoa is the prx>pc*4i- of PreaiderA V.ibca that a .lational primary electaoe lai be enacted t'-'r the rwmflttikm of PresidenUil candidate* Tbs* is a loog step in the directfoc of Ijberalnm. In many rjtates the prw.pie h.»* been adopted, ard candidates for office are named not by the pciilical - fcr«Wß»," but bv the people at iiTzv. It » predicted that if th.» reform ■"»r» applied to lbs nominating of party candidate* for the Presrdencv. Mr. Rootse■■eit would get the natautaUoci d both the Keoabhcan and Democratic Parties. This' W'xiid probably ensure his victory over Mr ttogdrow Wilson, who in all* likelirond w;il again lead the Democrats. The President, in his message to Congress, expressed the hope that the subject can be handled promptly and without sericiss controvem of any kind. But many peon» bJfJQGI %kat Preajdenual primaries will not -have- been established in Urn* for the next ejection, if for no ether reason than that the Southern States, where the bulk of the Democrat support comes from, art extremely opposed to federal control of elections, fearing it would deprive them of the p>wer to deny the negro the vote. But others insist that the sozgmtion will be quickly enacted into law. If that be so, the lad Presi- i dential i>omirsatir.g convention in this j country has been held. 1 Host Fictaresqns Feature. These conventions have been the most twiaresqne features of the politics of the L mted States, providtcg a stags upon which passion, intrigue, treachery, and, »'. times, heroism have had full play. It has often been charged that the votes of delegates to these conventions were bought with money or with promise of political reward by candidates for the Presidency. At the Republican convention last vear the Roosevelt and Taft adherents openly accused each other of tampering with th* negro delegates from the Southern States. Under the proposed primary system the voters will by their ballots directly choose who shall be the candidates of the' various Democratic, Republican, Progresnve, Socialist, Prohibitiooist, or what net—-and then in a second election these candidates 'skill fight it out among themselves.

Another farm of primary election is already partly in ton*. Under thi* system a State primary election is held "to elect delegates to the national nominating twriverrtioo. The convention to formed would supposedly hare a free hand to name a candidate"; but as a matter of fact delegates m chosen attend the convention instructed to rote for a particular candidate.