The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25

Done Away with and Primary
Elections Made Uniform.
The new set of rules for the guidance
of the Democratic party in Lackawanna
county was yesterday promulgated
through the columns of the Sunday
Democratic papers and by a resolution
of the committee which drafted 1t be-
came operative with it's publication.
The old rules were deficient in many
respects and contradictory in others.
one of these was responsible for bitter
fight at the state Democratic conVen-
tion at Allentown. where there were
two sets of delegates from this county,
the one chosen by the county committee,
the other by the respective legislative
conventions. In order that such an in
cdent might not recur and that the
party might have code of government
devoid of any ambiguity or inadequacies
the county convention at Music hall,
Sept. s, last, appointed committee to
formulate new set of rules. This com
mittae was composed of Edward f..
Blewitt. chairman; ID. J. Reedy, secre-
tary: George l.. Timlin, of Taylor;
Thomas c. Cummings, of Archibald;
William =. Boland of Scranton; l..
Miller of Scranton; Il. II. Barley, of
Waverly; Joseph G.. Rosar of Scran-
tom John j. Riley, of Dunmore; E.
FitHsimmons. of Scranton and L. j.
Jennings, of Scranton. ...- ..
The committee organized at Demo-
cratic headquarters, Oct. 8, 1896, and
proceeded with it's task. Notices were
inserted in the papers asking the CO.
and n-t
were sent to other counties in the state
for copies of their rules, after three
months of patient and palnstaking
work the committee yesterday report
ed the results of it's labor.
There are tWenty-One rules in all. The
most important are those governing
the election of state delegates and al
ternates, the manner of holding primary
elections and the enrolment of dele
gates and decision of contests which are
printed substantially in full:
PRIMARY ELECTION OFFICERS.
Sec. !. Primary election officers shall
| consist of a judge and two inspectors VINO
shall hold the primary elections at the
usual polling place in the election district
| or in case of inability to use the said poll
| ing place, at the place designated in the
| official call for the convention, from the
| hours of four to seven o'clock p. m.
Sec. .. Each voter may vote for but one
inspector and the term of office of the
| election officers shall terminate after the
election of delegates to the next regular
convention.
Sec g. In case there shall be a va
| cancy in the election board either by fail
| ure to elect, attend, death, removal or
| otherwise, the voters present at the poll
| ing place may fill such vacancy or Vacan-
cies after waiting thirty minutes from the
time fixed for opening the polls.
The oath subscribed by the officers shall
| accompany their return made to the con-
| vention.
Sec. 3. Each candidate for delegate
shall have the right to appoint one per-
! son to act as overseer at the primary cleo
| ton and the overseers so appointed shall
| be entitled to the same rights and priVi-
leges as overseers appointed by the court
| to act at the general elections.
| VOTING AT PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
Sec. /. Voting at primary elections shall
| be by ballot and all ballots at primary
elections shall be printed or written and
| contain the designation of the convention
| and name of candidate to be voted for,
| and the election officers shall record the
/ uame of the voter which record shall form
| part of the return to be made to the con-
| vention.
Sec. =. All ballots cast shall be pre-
| served by the judge of election for at
least one month after such election. In
| case an officer of a primary election shall
be prosecuted within one month after
| such election for the violation Of the pri-
| mary election laws of the commonwea tn
the Judge of election shall preserve and
| retain said ballots until said prosecution
be ended and determined.
ENROLMENT AND CONTESTS.
| Sec l. Every duly elected delegate to
any Democratic convention shall present
his certificate of election on or before II
| p. m. of the day previous to the con-
venton to the permanent chairman of the
committee authorizing such call, for en-
rolment purposes, but said certificate
| shall not be retained and shall not be
demanded from said delegate until duly
| required by the convention in session.
| Sec. >. All contestants to seats in con-
| vention shall file their reasons of contest
| before the chairman of the standing COM
mittee called, on or before 10 O'Clock p. m
of the day previous to the convention
Contestants neglecting to SO file their in
tentions and reasons for contest on or be.
| fore the time above stipulated shall be de-
barred from further contest
DELlG ATES AND ALTERNATES.
Sec. /. Delegates and alternates to the
state convention shall be chosen by the
/ legislative convention called for the pul.
II pose by the various chairmen of the legs.
lative committees of the county not less
than twos or more than nine weeks before
the assembling of the state convention
Sec. . Should, the chairman Of any leg,
islative committee neglect or refuse to Is.
sue the call, the secretary Of such com.
mittce may, after having been petitioneC
by five or more members of the committee
for the district, issue said call Should
both refuse or neglect to do so then the
chairman of the county committee shall
perform the duty. Should he neglect OF
refuse. then the state chairman shall Is.
sue the call.
Sec. 3. No substitution of state dele
gates or alternates shall be made of any
person other than a qualified Democratic
voter of the Legislative district for which
such substitution is made.
Sec. 4. The representation at such con
Vention Shall be the same as for the coun
~ convention, and these rules, as far a.
applicable, shall govern.
ABOUT SUBSTITUTES.
Provision is also made that the sub,
stitution of delegates must be made
in writing and signed by at least two
witnesses. In the matter of repre-
sentation it is provided that the con.
vention shall consist of one delegate
from every election district pollinl
five votes, and an additional delegate
for each hundred Democratic votes o,
fraction thereof, exceeding fifty af,
ter the first hundred, based on the las
preceding gubernatorial or presiden.
tial election.