The record-union., 1896-01-08
SUPERVISORS DECLINE THE DUTY.
Refuse to Select Officers for Primary
Elections.
The District Attorney Had Advised
the Board That the Law There
for is Invalid.

-ADS4NAAAe5
ument and asked permission to be heard
on subject he desired to present for
the consideration of the members.
Some reclamation matter, I suppose,
Major?" remarked Chairman Morri-
son inquiringly.
The supposition was a reasonable
one, as Major Gett generally has one
of more petitions Of some kind from
his many reclamation district clients
TO present whenever the Supervisors
are in session, but this time the Chair
man was mistaken in the matter
NO sir" replied the Major, strange
to say; this has nothing to do with
swamp lands. It is a petition to this
honorable body asking it to comply
with the provisions of the State pri-
mary election law in the matter of Sc
lecting officers to conduct the political
primary elections this year. l will read
it."
THE PETITION.
To the Board of Supervisors of the
County Of Sacramento, State of Cali
fornia-Gentlemen Your petitioner, w
A. Gett, Jr., respectfully shows: That he
is a resident, property owner and quail
flied voter and elector in the county of
Sacramento, State of California; that
by the census of 1890 said Sacramento
County had population of more than
10000 inhabitants, to wit, 40,339 in
habitants, and for the purposes of cleo
tions and primary elections and for all
purposes other than for roads and high
ways and the purpose of regulating
the compensation of officers, said county
Of Sacramento is a county OF the hrst
class: that a general election is to be
held during the year 1896, and 1t VIII
be necessary for the political parties
of said Sacramento County to hold
general primary elections on the
last Tuesday of March, 1896,
for the purpose of electing del
egates to a State Convention TO
select delegates to a National Conven-
ton to select candidates for election OF
President and Vice-President OF the
United States.
Furthermore, it will be necessary for
the several political parties Of Sacra-
mento County on the second Tuesday
of July, 1896, to hold general primary
elections in order to elect delegates to
a convention to select candidates for
several legislative, municipal, congress
sional and other Offices
That by an Act entitled "An Act pro-
in counties of certain classes within the
State Of California, and to promote the
purity thereof by regulating the con-
duct thereof, and to support the privi-
leges of free suffrage thereat, by pro-
hibiting certain acts and practices in
relation thereto, and providing for the
punishment thereof" approved March
u. 1885, commonly known as the Gen
eral Primary Law, it is provided that
no candidate can have his name printed
1Ipon any ballot to be voted for as a
candidate for public Office at any gen
eral election in this State unless he
shall have been nominated by a conVen-
tion composed of delegates chosen as
provided by said Act.
The attention of your honorable board
is therefore called to the fact that the
political parties of this county cannot
hold conventions composed of delegates
chosen as provided by said Act for the
purpose of electing delegates to a ma
tfonal convention in March, 1896, nor
for the purpose of naming candidates
for office for the next general election
in July. 1885, unless your honorable
board during the month of January,
1896, comply with the provisions Oh
said Act known as the general primary
law. =,
AS great and irreparable injury will
be occasioned to your petitioner, as well
as the other duly qualified voters OF
said county, unless your honorable
hoard complies with said Act, you are
hereby requested to perform the same
and YOU are hereby more particularly
requested to resolve yourselves into a
Board of Election Commissioners dur
ing the month of January, 1896, and to
select from the assessment roll of said
Sacramento County the names Of not
less than thirty electors residing in each
election precinct of such county, such
selection to be made from each of the
political parties then existing in as
nearly as equal proportion as practi-
cable. and to write the name of each
person so selected on a separate piece
OF paper and to fold said paper so that
the name written thereon cannot be
seen or read without unfolding the
same, and when the names are so writ
ten and folded to put all of the names so
selected from each separate election
precinct in an envelope, then to close
and securely seal such envelope and to
write the name and the number of the
precinct from which such selection was
made on the outside Of such envelope.
And when the names so selected from
each election precinct in such county
shall have been so placed in separate
precinct envelopes, and each sealed and
numbered so as to designate the pre-
cinct from which each selection was SO
made. then to place all of the said en-
velopes so marked and sealed in a box,
to be provided by your honorable board
for that purpose, and then to securely
lock and seal said box and safely keep
the same until required by you for use
as provided in said Act.
And your honorable board is also re-
quested to instruct the Clerk of your
honorable board to forthwith record the
names so selected in a book for that
purpose. which book shall be kept open
at all times for public inspection, and
also to publish said names once in some
paper of general circulation in the
county within ten days after the names
are so selected.
Your attention is respectfully called
to the fact that it is necessary for such
selection to be made so that the names
of the officers to act at the primary cleo
tions then ensuing may be chosen from
the names thus selected by your hon
orable board. Very respectfully.
w. A. GETT, JR.
THE PETITION DENIED.
Mr.. Gett, addressing the board, said
ne hardly expected it would grant the
A "Pure