The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-31
Effective Primary Reform.

Effective Primary Reform.
An interesting primary election bill
has just passed the Illinois senate. IL
is intended to be mandatory in cour-
tics having 1O0,060 or more porulation;
but in smaller counties its operation is
optional Once adopted in any county,
however, it applies to every city, VIII
lace or incorporated town in that coun-
ty and to every political party polling
10 per cent. or more Of the total vote
in it's community.
The bill puts primary election laws
under stringent control but retains the
delegate system. The political party
desiring to hold primary election
must. az least fifteen days before such
election. file with the hoard of election
commissioners through its regular
| chairman or executive committee a call
| or application in writing which shall
| set forth the name OF the party, the
address of the headquarters OF the CEN
tral committee or managing committee,
| the day on which the primary cleo
| ton is TO be held, the name, place
ana time If every convention for the
| nomination Of candida tes the descrlp-
| tion of each of the various primary
| election districts. together with Inc
| names Of three persons for clerks for
each primary district. and the num-
bcr of delegates for each primary dis
trict to each convention. The call shall
also contain the name of some news
| paper recommended for the publication
of the notice of such primary election
The expense of conducting the primary
election shall be paid by the county,
village, city or incorporated town re-
spectively. including the salaries of
| Judges and clerks, the cost of ballot
boxes, registry books and poll books,
return sheets stationery supplies. poll
| ing places and such other expenses as
are necessary. Every legal voter shall
be allowed to vote at a primary pro-
vd9d he is a member of the political
party or organization holding such pri-
mary election. The ballots have to full
| III certain requirements and provision
is made for the preservation Of ballots
challenged or found defective Each
set of delegates is entitled to have one
challenger present
The Illinois bill is most noticeable in
its penalties. For example: The
Judges of election shall be fired $1,000
each if the ballot boxes are not kept
constantly in public view during the
progress. of the election. Every per-
sen VINO shall do any act by law for
hidden or which in this act constitutes
an offense shall, upon conviction there
of. he adjuGPed guilty OF felony and
shall be punished for each and every
such offense by imprisonment in the
penitentiary for not less than one nor
more than five years Any judge of
election who shall wilfully exclude any
vote shall be aGjudged guilty of mis-
demeanor and snail be punished by i'm
prisOnmant i'm the county Jail for not
less than one nor more than two years.
ANY person who votes with a certain
party at such primary election when
he knows he is not qualified to vote
shall be deemed guilty of a felony and
be punished by Imprisonment in the
penitcntiary for not less than two nor
more than five years"
This measure is so carefully drawn
that It would no doubt be adequate to
the emergency if thoroughly enforced
II goes ss far as a statute can go
Moreover, in theory, IT aCcords with
the principles of our government by
retaining the representative feature
Some want candidates to be nominat-
ed directly by a popular vote; but a
community which, when it can, will
not elect trustworthy delegates is
hardly TO be expected to show any bet
ter results when doing its own nomi-
ma ting at first hand. Besides. it is or
dnarily fair to assume that a conven-
TONS dcliberation is preferable to a
mCb'S. That is the principle on which
this government rests.
After all is said. however, the old
truth stlll sticks out, which is that un-
Ill the vCter is fit to use his suffrage
merely changing the system of elec'
tions will not materially or perma'
ncntly improve the results.
Congressman Loud. the California