Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 243, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1915 — Do the People Want to Select Their Candidates? [ARTICLE]

Do the People Want to Select Their Candidates?

W. W. Miller was over from Mt. Ayr today and paid The Republican a visit and the experience The Repubican had in conducting its “straw” primary Was discussed. In reviewing the result of the ballot in The Republican we said that we believed 75 per cent of the people *were not prepared at this time to express intelligently their choice for governor and senator. Mr. Miller stated that he ] feels that this is true and he has just a ltitle doubt as to whether the people are going to tumble into the primary with the fulj interest that should characterize a people whose welfare largely depends upon those who represent them in office. He reated a little experience he had at Mt. Ayr last year. The most important offices in any township perhaps are trustee and assessor, particularly the trustee. In Jackson township the time to elect a new trustee was approaching and Mr. Miller hit upon vhat would have been a splendid plan of determining whom the voters considered good timber for the office. He bad cards printed which read: “My preference for trustee is ” He passed these around freely and asked that they be filled out and handed in to J. R. Sigler at the bank. Many took the cards, asked what the object was, were told and should

readily have seen that in that way they could have secured an expression of the public and have determined upon the very best man, if the judgment of the public is good. But individuals could not be thus interested in a thing that concerned their township so much and only five persons returned the cards. It is probable that when the primary election is held next March most of the voters will turn out, but it is evident from conditions at this time that there will be many who won’t have much of an idea wbo they are voting for unless they devote some time between now and the first of March a getting acquainted. William Howard Taft once said that in the final and calm judgment of the American people their judgment was quite invariably correct, but that under excitement they were often apt to commit themselves by hasty action to a policy that was far from right. We hope that the primary will demonstrate the calm judgment of the people and if it does now is the time for the people to begin getting acquainted with the candidates. ; V7T