The herald., 1894-05-06
PLANS FOR PRIMARIES.
A SYNOPSIS OF THE VARIOUS
SUGGESTIONS OFFERED.
The Committse Hopes to Boil Them in
CIucible and Produce
Solution of the
Problem.

Below is given a synopsis OF the dif-
ferent plans for the attainment of pure
primary elections which have been SUBJ
mitted to the committee of 100 citizens
which ie now considering them with a
view to selecting one or evolving one
from the many presented. to be sub
mitted to the different central commit
tees of the county, with the request that
it be adopted by them. The sub-com-
mittee has been in session almost daily
during the last two weeks and hopes to
be ready to recommend a plan to the
general committee within few days
and is confident Of one thing, and that
10 that no matter which plan 10 selected
or what one is made, it will be infinitely
better than the system in use at present.
The plan presented by ex-Mayor Haz-
ard virtually places the management of
the primary elections in the hands of
the county clerk or the city clerk, as the
case may be. 1t provides that no con-
vention ahsll be held but that the mem
bers of the different parties shall NOM
mate the candidates, by direct vote, at
the primaries. The public official who
has charge OF the primary is to prepare
list or registration of the members Of
the different parties which is to close at
a certain time before the primaries take
place and only such persons as appear
on this list az being members of the
party for which it is prepared are to be
OF that party. Ballots are to be pre-
pared containing the names of candi-
dates for members Of the central COM
rnifraa and tho N of oil
seeking nomination to Office in the party,
and these ballots will be sent to each
voter of the party who will vote for such
persons as he wishes to be members of
the central committee, and also for his
choice as his party nominees for the diff
ferent Offices to be filed. The central
committee so elected will then canvass
the votes cast and declare the persons
receiving the highest number of votes
for the respective offices to be the party
nominees for such offices. The voting
will be dons by mail and such safeguards
are placed around these ballots as to
prevent repeating, ballot box stuffing
and kindred OWLS.
Mr.. John Murray, Jr., of Nordhoff,
Ventura county, in a pamphlet which
has been generally circulated and is not
intended for the committee of 100 alone.
advocates q plan thoroughly identical
with the foregoing, except as regards
the registration of the members of the
different parties, and that the work
which the first plan named gives q pub.
lie official to do for the whole county, ia
done by specially appointed judges for
each precinct.
Mr.. John F. Humphreys haa sub
mitted plan, similar to the Hazard
plan in the respect of voting by mail,
but which provides for the holding of o
convention. Under this plan all parties
hold primary elections for electing dele
gates to conventions on the same date.
The ballots will contain the name of
candidates for delegates to all party con-
ventions, properly designated, thus en-
abling the voter to participate in the
primary OF any party which he may
choose on the one ballot, by marking the
candidates for whom he wishes to vote
in the same manner as the Australian
ballot is marked. No registration as to
party affiliations 10 required, but the great
register ia ussd in the same manner
as at general election. The eonven-
tions 30 elected will proceed with the
nomination OF candidates as under the
System now in use, making its first bust
ness to be the selection OF o central COM
mittee. The conventions of the different
parties could meet on any days which
each may choose.
Mr.. A. j. Bradish has proposed q
plan which does not interfere with or
change in any way the present System,
except that the primaries of all parties
shall be held at the same time and at
the came places, by precincts. and that
the great register, shall be strictly used
in permitting applicants to vote. This
plan ia based upon the proposition that
new plan for primary elections can
deal with but three points. repeating,
stufing and making false returns, and
1t is claimed that this plan, by using the
great register, will prevent q persons
voting in any precinct save that whore
he ia entitled to vote, and also prevent
voting by one person in the primaries
of more than enc party, and by having
the primaries of all parties together and