The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-02-11
INNOVATION ON PRIMARIES.
FinlaysOn's Primary Election Bill
Read and Discussed.
Numerous Amendments Call For
Substitute, Which the Committee
Recommends For Passage - What
the Bill Is, and What 1t is For.

The Joint Committee on Election Laws
met last night and considered, slashed
amended, and finally offered a substitute
to Assembly Bill No. $40, by Finlayson,
which is, or rather was, "An Act provid-
ing for primary elections in the State
AS finally considered, slashed, amended,
and finally substituted, the bill provides
that the County Central Committee Of
each political party in the State, shall, a
reasonable time before elections, give
notice by publication in one or more
newspapers. or by posters stuck in con-
spicuous places, to all members of the
party, that those desiring the nomination
to various offices shall present their
names to the Secretary of the committee,
together with a fee to be named by the
committee, designating the Office they de-
sire. The Secretary shall then cause bal
lots to be printed, upon which will appear
the names of all those desiring the office.
Section 3 of the bill provides for the APP
pointment of Assistant Secretaries in
large or densely populated districts, who
shall receive the ballots from the Secre-
tary of the committee and distribute the
same by mail to members of his party.
Section provides that ballots, after
being marked by the elector, may be re-
turned to the Inspector through the
United States mail in envelopes to be fur
nished by the Secretary, and that ballot
shall be sent to each and every elector OF
the party whose name appears on the
Great Register. The section further pro-
vides that the elector may vote for such
candidate as he may choose. by placing
opposite the name of such candidate d
cross, to be made either with pen or
pencil.
The discussion of that part of the sec
ton relating to the delivery of ballots,
after voting, to headquarters. through the
agency of the United States mail, was IN
teresting, but the committee finally con-
cluded that political tricksters would
scarcely dare attempt any underhand
work with the United States Govern
ment, and that it was the safest possible
method 10 adopt.
Section provides that the Secretary OF
the committee shall provide a box,
wherein shall be placed the ballots as
they arrive.
Section 10 provides that when the bal
lot is opened, read and registered, the
ballot shall be strung upon string, after
the manner of child's charmstring.
This plan, it is asserted, will preclude
election officers from making away with
ballots and remodeling return sheets.
AS soon as counted, said ballots shall be
Sealed and delivered by board to the
Secretary of the Central Committee.
Section IL provides that no person shall
be furnished with ticket whose name
does not appear on the last printed Great
Register used. The section met with
considerable opposition, on the ground
that as the Great Register is printed onI Y
once in two years persons who may have
lived in the district eighteen months
would by the provision be DISTINGUISHED.
The defenders of the bill, however,
claimed to have covered the objection in
the next section, which provides that an
may write to the Secretary and have
the proper change made before the pri-
mary closes.
But it was argued that an injustice
would be worked to those electors who
may have come into the State and were
entitled to representation, or to one who
had only recently arrived at his majority.
This was answered with the rather
ambiguous statement that it was hard to
form law to please all concerned, and
that one party had no more room for
objection than another as the measure
treated all alike. The aim of the section,
said Mr.. Finlayson, was to put an
etlectual damper on those individuals
who considered it an inalienable right to
claim the privilege OF representation at
primaries. The objections were finally
withdrawn and the section passed.
Section IL provides that any elector of
the party may challenge any other elector
whose name appears on the party list by
making affidavit that he believes said
eiector to belong to some other political
party, and upon the Secretary receiving
the affidavit, he shall notify the chal-
lenged party of the fact, and if the chaI-
lenged party does not appear and make
affidavit that he is a member of the
organization within ten days after such
notification, his name will be stricken
from the list.
Section II provides that any ''stuffer,''
or anyone who shall represent himself to
be anyone else, or who shall attempt to
repeat or misrepresent himself, shall be
guilty of felony and shall on conviction
be imprisoned not more than five nor
less than one year, and shall be disquali-
fed from holding Office thereafter.
Section Is allows an elector to erase his
name from the list of one party and place
it upon that of another at will.
Objection was made to the bill on the
ground that if it became law it would
never be enforced, and the PORTER Law
was cited as an instance, where a prin-
airy election law had been received as a
huge joke, though duly passed, and
which was never enforced in one partic-
ular instance, and which from its passage
was dead letter.
1t was determined to form q substitute
TO the bill, embodying the amendments
made, and the committee report back
said substitute with the recommendation
that it do pass.
THE PROCEEDINGS.