The San Francisco call., 1897-03-16
A NEW GAME FOR
THE POLITICIANS
Iney Are All Eagerly
Studying the Stratton
Primary Law.
It Revolutionizes the WAYS OF
Practical Politics and
Conventions.
The Democratic "Outs" See in It q
Hope of Downing the Kingly
Sam Rainey.

III iuii OlieCt tuIouSuouI tuo pCdGe, IcVO-
lutionizing practical politics and chang
ing greatly the prospects and probabilities
attendant on a crowd of political am
bitions.
Primary elections in this State are now
hedged about with all the protection oil
law and all the sacredness which guard
general elections. Although Kentucky
has law regulating primary elections 1t
is not nearly SO stringent as our new one,
which becomes notable political expert
ment which will be widely watched and
studied.
The new law is supposed to be mighty
blow at boss rule and machine power and
something that will sweeten with
righteousness that foundation of the
American political system, that fountain
Of political power. that sink of political
iniquiIy, the primaries. Only the trial OF
the law can tell how the thing will work.
In San francisco the especial practical
interest in the new law is being shown in
the Democratic camp in which Sam
Rainey's swelling form is perched, the
king. and in which the regular and IN
evitable row is brewing with the ins on
one side and the "reformers" on the
other. Perhaps the new primary election
law will smash the fat boss machine. and
perhaps it wont. 1t ought to be able to
do so.
The big central jewel in the law was in
tended to be the opportunity it gives for
any citizen to safely vote at a primary
counted. The result is expected to be the
drawing into primary politics of the body
of the electors.
The Stratton law is the re.enactment of
the primary law passed two years ago and
overturned by the Supreme Court, but
with important notifications and sim pill
fcation. The last primary law was framed
for general law, but the interior legis-
lators objected to their counties being
with no great need for the law, and so it
was made applicable to only San Fran
cisco and Los Angeles.
Upon this ground it was knocked out.
The expense is now greatly lessened,
mainly by combining precincts and by
not paying election officers, and it has
been passed as general law mandatory
throughout the State. The Republican
State Central Committee has been the
especial backer of the bill, and to Chair
man Mclaughlin and Secretary Step
pacher,.who have labored hard for it at
Sacramento. the result is largely due.
Political calculations are made far ahead,
and with the signing of the bill the plans
of the politicians have at once begun to
take shape according to the new condi-
tions. The next election seems far of,
but the play for nominations and for con-
troll OF organizations has begun. Nine
months hence the names of thousands of
primary election officers will be regis
tered.
Hereafter primary elections will be con-
Quoted by sworn officers. under the gen.
eraI control of the Election Commission.
ers or similar officers. and any act which
is an offense at a general election will be
an offense, with similar penalty, at pri-
mary election.
Primary elections will be general, and
all parties will hold their primaries at the
same time and place and under the con-
trol of one set OF officers.
No candidate can get on the official bal
lot for the general election who is not
nominated by a convention created ac-
cordlng to law and at the general primary
except he go on by petition as an ''inde-
pc md ent" candidate. Thus no organiza-
ton has any discretion as to operating
under the law, anG appointed" conven-
tions are of. the past. There is now but
one path TO the convention hall.
Political conventions become legal enti-
ties, and are classified as State" dis
trict" and 'local." One of the things
that will -evolutionize conventions is
that no one may hold more than one
proxy in convention. This and the
fact that each delegate will bear a legal
certificate of election with red seal on
it is enough to make many veteran pale.
No candidate who is nominated by a
convention and certified to by the Election
Commissioners can get on the official bal
lot to be voted for until he has sworn that
he has not, from first to last, directly or
indirectly, before or at primary or conven-
ton, spent in his own or his palty's inter-
est more than specified small percent
age of the salary of the office he wants.
The law in this regard is, in letter, as
stringent as the purity of elections law
regulating the expenditures of candida ates
after nomination, and he must file an
itemized account of all expenditures re at
ing to his party affairs or his own political
interests.
Another drastic and highly revolution.
ary feature is section providing that nc
one employed by the Government, State,
county or town within ninety days of the
primary shall be eligible rs delegate to
any convention, and the penalty for SO
acting is fine of from $50 to $50 or i'm.
prisonment for from twenty-five to $50
days or both. Some doubt the legality o1
this, but it is an interesting effort at the
publication and freedom of political con-
ventions and the cracking in advance oi
states.
Other important details of the new Law
are as follows:
In Presidential years general primary
election for delegates to all party State
conventions 10 choose delegates to Ma.
tional conventions, nominate electors
ETC.. shall be held on the last Tuesday In
March.
A primary election leading up to State
conventions for State affairs shall be held
every four years on the second Tuesday in
July.
Primaries for local conventions shall be
called at proper times by the Election
Commissioners or the county officers who
perform similar duties.
All parties or organizations desiring tC
hold conventions must at least twenty
days before the primary election tiie with
the Election Commissioners notification
of the fact with proper trimmings.
Any new party or organization not hav.
ing polled 3 per cent of the total vote al
the preceding election may be recognized
as party entitled to the privileges and
protection of the law bv filing q petition
signed by the required per cent. 1t thus
requires respectful BILE mum Der of electors
to get up political convention now.
The duties OF the Election Commission.
ers begin in January of each year during
which a general election is to be held
During that month they shall select from
the precinct registers the names OF fifteen
electors, divided as to party, put each