The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-02-01
PRIMARY ELECTIONS.

The thirty. fifth general assembl
wisely passed q law governing primar
elections.
In a country like ours, where, des
pite all that may be said against pal
tisan politics, the necessity for carryin,
ont certain ideas or schools of though
give rise to parties, it Ia necessary Il
keep their acts as pure as can we'll Ia
done In certain republican states q
counties a nomination Is tantamOunt Il
an election; In GertaiB Democrat,
states and counties the same tact pre-
walls. The result Is that 40 bet eel
the primary election AMI the genera
election the former 10 of more mOmen
and brings out the sharpest and the
most active contest. Under these cir.
cumstances 1t Is somewhat singular tina
there has not OOner been adequate
legislation to protect the primary elec.
ton from fraud.
The new law Is no a long one, Il
does not attempt TOO much; indeed il
may be found that II Ia not tnll enough
at any rate II is 4 step in the right
direction.
Section 4795 OF the revised statutes
of 1889 provides that the judges, clerks
and tellers OF any primary election held
Tor the purpose Of nominating candi
dates for election, or OF selecting dele.
gates to q nominating convention
whereby candidates are selected fol-
any public Office, shall, before entering
upon their duties, take and subscribe
The oath prescribed by law for judges
aud clerks of election. This is a good
provision, because heretofore IL the
judges and clerks were sworn at all II
vas simply by consent, with the
knowledge that 1t was not required by
law, and with q consequent laxity OF
performance upon the part OF many.
Now there can be nc question about II.
The law requires It, and any infraction
Of the oath is an ~infraction of the law.
Section 47s6 provides that n person
voting at any such primary election,
who is not qualified to vote In the cleo
lion precinct where he offers to vote al
the next state. county or municipal
election, or who shall vote more than
ouce at the same or different precincts
n polls on the anne day in the same
election, shall be deemed guilty Of q
,Disdemeanor, and on conviction shall
be punished by Q fine not exceeding
one hundred dollars, or by imprison-
rnent In the county Jail not exceeding
thirty days, or by both such fine OF
imprisonment. This provides punish
,nent where there has heretofore been
none. and q judicious publication of tie
fact will prevent 9 great deal Of repeat.
ins and false voting In primary cleo.
ions, which has heretofore been done
here, while not ever thought OF for the
general election where the law imposes
severe penalties.
Section 4797 goes even further and
.'rovides that every person who shall
knowingly procure an illegal vote Ia
east at such primary election shall
bs deemed gnilty Of a misdemeanor,
aud upon conviction thereof punished
~ provided in section 4796.
Aud section 479s, the concluding one,
provides that any Judge, clerk or teller
OF any primary election held by any
p IlitIcal party in this state, who shall
make or return a fraudulent statement
# the result of such election, shall be
ieemed guilty OF q misdemeanor, aud
upon convection, shall be punished as
lereinbefore provided.
The law, as will be seen by u careful
OF 1t as here given. is terse,
compact, yet comprehensive, and
.hould do much toward purifying our
primary elections, which are as a rule
he real fountains from which spring
The ~ilnpelling actions of American