Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-15
CAMPAIGN NEWS AND COMMENT.

enacted the measure had no idea that it
meant what Attorney General Hensel says
it does, and that they did not intend 1t to
mean any such thing. The Hensel decision
was the one topic of conversation In politi-
cal circles yesterday. At the Tariff Club the
discussion was particularly vigorous. Sen
ator Neeb, when found there, said: "There
is no doubt that the Legislature intended
that one cross-mark should be vote for all
the candidates of a party. A sample election
was held at the Capitol, with all the
Senators and Representatives as voters. A
complete ticket was prepared and one cross
mark was all that was required This was
distinctly stated by those who were advo-
ca ing the measure and who made the
original draft of the bill When Chairman
Reeder first raised the points which have
been decided we'll taken by the Attorney
General. 1 thought he was very foolish, and
l still think the announced construction of
the law is strained. The language of the
law is that one mark votes Tor all the can
didates of a political party or group and
think the terms are synonomous. worked
hard against the measure in the SEN
ate and althonGh nfnonG the Conference nee
final report, and it is signed by only five
names, those OF three Representatives and
two Senators, 1 believe that about the first
work of the next Legislature, In response to
O practically universally popular demand,
will be to use the Ak on the Baker ballot
law"
BECAUSE they were nominated by dis
tinct conventions it will take separate
cross-mark for Judge, another for Coroner
and so on through the county ticket, each
nomination of this kind being q "group''
under the ruling of Attorney General Hensel.
Lindley Murray is likely to arise from the
grave to inquire how one man can con-
stitute group"
SENATOR NEEB is not the only legislator
who objects to the new Interpretation of
the voting law A Representative OF r.
pHblican proclivities said yesterday: 81 do
not believe the ruling would stand in the
courts If tested in a contested election in
any way affected by the arrangement of the
official ballot. Attorney General Hensel
has rendered a compromise opinion on con-
flicting sections OF the law, which satisfies
reither its letter nor its spirit. The intent
of the measure undoubtedly was to allow
one mark to vote straight ticket from the
first Presidential elector down to the ward
constable. Owing to the careless insertion
of amendments some parts OF the law con-
f1ict with this idea, but the Attorney General
does not even conform TO the literal wording
o: the provisions, though he accepts the
language just far enough to create endless
CONFUSION. There is one section which
reads: There shall be left at the end of the
list OF candidates for each different Office or
under the title of the office itself for which
an election is to be held i'll case there be no
candidates legally nominated therefor, as
many blank spaces as there are persons to
be elected to such offiee.' Now the Attorney
General rules that on the ground OF con-
venlence the blank spaces for all the offices
shall come in q column at the far side of the
ticket, instead OF at the end of the
list of candidates for each different
office, as would seem to be as expressly pro-
vided as anythinL in the statute. Now, if the
letter OF one section is to be disreSarded on
the ground o; convenience, why is an
over-rigid and even strained construction
put upon other features, to the destruction
of the intent OF the Legislature? l am in
favor of the Australian ballot system, but
the Baker law, as interpreted by Hensel, is
likely to cause serious trouble"
A WEEK or so ago the Republican
Committee sent out q handbook to party
workers with instructions as to the Baker
law. A new and radically revised edition
will be necessary now.
THE eleventh-hour nomination of J. D.
Hicks by the Republican Congressional Con-
ference in the Twentieth district is more
than likely to raise up another problem to
puzzle the Interpreters Of the law. 1t was
announced from the office or the Secretary
of the Common wealth Mt Harrisburg that
the time for filing regular certificates of
nomination, which is required 56 days be-
fore election, expired on Monday last. The
certificate of Mr. Hicks was not filed until
Tuesday night, the claim being made that it
was still outside of the 56-day limit. The
paper was taken subject to a decision
later on. This point, though, is largely
question of arithmetic, and admits
OF speedy and authoritative decision. But
in case the position of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth is sustained, and Tuesday
proves to have been too late for fl ling regular
certificates, another point will come up
The latter portion OF section A, OF the
Baker law, reads: "No words shall be used
in any nomination papers to describe or
designate the party or policy or political ap-
pellation represented by the candidate
named in such nomination papers as atore-
said, identical with or similar to the words
used for the like purpose in certificates of
nominations made by convention of dele
gates of a political party, which, at the last
centum of the largest vote cast"
Under this section, apparently, if it is
decided that the certificate of MIR. Hicks
nomination was filed too late, he could not
be classed Republican candidate at all,
even by the filing OF n nomination paper
before the time for such action has expired.
The Republican plurality in the Twentieth
district two years ago was only 526, and
though this was below the average it can
to be classed as Republican candidate on
the ballot might seriously affect his chances
of election.
AFTER reading the text of the Baker law
and wading through the opinion of the At
torney General the keystone voter is likely
to borrow the now famous expression of
Cold Tea Congressman Cobb: where am
at"
CHAIRMAN PATTON, of the Prohibition
State Committee, announces that more than
the required number of signatures to place
the cold water nominee on the State ticket
have been secured. Twenty-one hundred
names were necessary, but 500 more than
that were obtained Tor good measure. Un-
der the Hensel ruling these candidates will
be grouped in column on the ticket under
the general Prohibition party head. This is
another feature in the Interpretation which
has been disputed, as the law on this point
reads: "In all other cases of nomination bv
nomination papers, the names of the
candidates for each Office shall be
arranged in alphabetical order, according
to the surnames." Mr.. Hensel holds, how
ever, that as the political designation of
candidates named by nomination papers is
not expressly prohibited that such designa-
tion should be made in the interest of con-
yenience and the general intent OF the law
The Prohibitionists will certainly not object
TO this view of the case and probably no
one else will care to. Chairman Patton's
idea of having extra names on the nomina-
t1on papers IS regarded as good one by the
practical politicians. One worker Yesterday
in referring to the effort of John F. Cox to |
secure an independent nomination
paDer IN the Twenty-fourth Congressional
district said that the ambitious Home
steaders had better allow murgin |
rhar.