The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-01
PRIMARYELECTION LAWS
A BILL WHICH SENATOR JOSS WILL
INTRODUCE IN THE LEGISLATURE.
Senator Hawkins Has Plan for Col
lecting the Official Vote on
Election Day.

Senator-elect Frederick A. Joss has given
considerable attention to the subject of a
primary election law, and will introduce
measure when the General Assembly meets
Senator r. Q. Hawkins contemplates intro
ducing bill that will simplify and expedite
the collection and canyassing Of the official
vote.
Mr.. joss has collected data in the form of
primary laws Of other States, and is giving
the subject careful thought. AS yet his bill
has not been prepared. but he said yester-
day that, in a general way, it will provide,
first, for some system of registration where
by the right to vote at primary election
Of any political party shall be confined to
the voters of that party, and, second for
giving citizens the right to vote for such
delegates TO conventions as they may
choose.
MANY good citizens said Mr.. Joss,
have become Disguised with the slate
proposition in primary elections. They go
TO the precinct meeting, perhaps and find
man whom they have never seen before
thrustng ticket at them from the left
side and another stranger thrusting another
at them from the other side. More than
likely, both printed tickets contain the
names of men the voters do not know.
Such Il primary election law as l have in
mind would eliminate the slate and permit
the voter to make his own choice Of d dele
gate. By this method good, representative
men would go to the cOnVentions-men who
do not now care to take a part in politics"
BY system of registration and some sort
of declaration to be made by the voter as
to his political intentions the habit that now
often prevails of friends i'll one party bring
ing out their boys to help the friends on
the other side who want to run things would
be thing of the past. Mr.. Joss would have
the primaries of all parties held on the same
day, thus preventing repeating. Mr.. Joss
says that he would go even further than
governing the primaries and have the polit-
zeal organizations controlled by law. AS it
Is, political parties having vast interests
to control, handling large sums of money
sand with qualifications extending all over
tho State have absolutely no standing I'M
der the law-are unknown to it, Mr. Joss
says that the political organizations should
be recognized by the law and should be SUBJ
Ject to it. AT the primary election at which
the delegates TO the convention arc selected
1t would be possible to select the precinct
committeeman. who in turn might be au-
thoriZed to elect ward chairmen, county
chairmen etc. When some such law as this
is in force, Mr.. Joss argues, much in poll
tics that is Objectionable to clean, respect
able men will have been remedied, and
young, intelligent educated men who now
turn away in disgust from politics will take
a hand in local government The senator
believes that the safety of the Nation will
in the future depend on the class of men
who now abhor politics, and he believes that
a long step toward getting the best ele-
will have been taken when primaries are
held and organizations effected III a way
to remove them from present methods.
Then, he reasons, intelligent, educated
young men will take an interest in politics.
Concerning more rapid and desirable
means of collecting and canvassing the
vote, Mr.. Hawkins is in favor of placing the
election machinery in the hands of an cleo
ton board of three. He would give this
apA 4l,n 4rlxr Of he hn1I
the appointment OF inspectors and other du
ties now performed by the commissioners. i
AS to how the board should be formed is a
matter of detail, although Mr.. Hawkins is
inclined to favor appointment by the Circuit
Court. The election boards at present are
composed of one member selected by the
chairman of each of the two principal polit
ical organizations and the county clerk who
serves ex otticio, just as the state board Is
member. This board Mr.. Hawkins would
have meet at the courthouse on the night of
the election, ready to receive the returns
and count the vote as rapidly as 1t is
brought in by the election officers. AT pres
emit the canvassing board meets two days
after the election Meantime the tally sheets
and poII books are in the hands of the I'M
spectors. This fact affords some oppor-
tunity and temptation to frauds. BY having
the vote canvassed Immediately after the
election such temptation and opportunity
would be removed or at least reduced to
the minimum. Then, beside the pubic
would by this means be able to learn the
next morning or by the afternoon papers OF
the next day. at the latest, the official vote
Some of the States are now adopting meth
DDS of this character In New York the vote
is counted every hour. BY o'clock of cleo
ton night the entire vote for Rochester was
known here. with the plurahtles or the sue
cessful candidates. In New York city the
police department is utilized in collecting
The returns There has been demand Tor
q long time for a simpler and more, eXpedi-
tious manner of collecting and canvassing
the returns in this State. Mr.. Hawkins SAID
that the only opposition he could imagine
might come from the inspectors in remote
townships who might object to riding to
the county seat late at night after the vote
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