On the coming Tuesday the Democratic and Republican parties are to choose their candidates for alderman. This is the first time that these nominations take place by direct election in Chicago. Previously the voters in each party elected delegates from each ward, and these delegates convened to nominate the party's candidate for alderman.

The complaint arose that this method did not give the people a chance to express their will, and so the present system of direct nominations was instituted. Now the voters do not ballot for delegates but for the candidates themselves, and the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes is nominated. It is not necessary that he receive a majority of the votes in a party; it is sufficient that he receive more votes than any one of his rivals within the party.

The voters need to remember that they now hold the power and, therefore, the responsibility of nominating candidates. If a man is nominated who is not fit for his position, the voters cannot complain afterwards that the leaders and politicians have deceived them. The leaders and politicians are, of course, quite as busy as they have been before; there is nothing inherently wrong in this, however. On the contrary, all the voters ought to be active in lining up votes for the best candidate.

If the leaders win because they are awake while the voters are asleep, then the leaders ought to win, and the voters deserve to lose. It is necessary that the voters keep this in mind. The voters possess the power; they also hold the responsibility for the use of this power--for its use, its misuse, and its nonuse. The voters alone are to blame if we get a city council consisting of grafters.

Many great problems will have to be solved by the city council to be elected. Great interests are at stake. A good city council will be able to accomplish much of 3value for the city and for the people. A corrupt city council will have the opportunity to graft and to rob the city and its people as never before.

What will be the result of the election? Are we to have an able, honest city council, or are we to have a bad, corrupt, city council? The result of the primary will give the answer, and this result is now placed in the hands of the voters. On election day we will learn how the people act.