The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-02-03

lust now more Or less agltated by the
question how nominations are to be
made for spring elections. 1t seems
to be the conclusion of party mana
gers high il authority that such nom
i lations must be made in accordance
with the provisions of Chapter 3l2 of
the Laws of 1897. Steps have been
accordingly taken to make nomina-
tions ia Manitowoc under the provis-
ions OF that act The question is of
great practical Importance and mis-
take ought not to be made. The law,
although a step'in the right direction.
is disgrace to the Legislature that en-
acted it. The uncertainty and incom
lleteness of the act are more like
troubled dream than the clear think
ing of human being There are three
features of the law that ought to be
carefully considered before proceed
ing under it in ManitowC We will re
arrange section l SO as to bring ont
IS nearl " a we can its real N Gaming. Ia
doing this we shall jump from one
part of the section to another, connect
ipg fragments as We think the logical
order of the thought leads us, without
any reference to the arrangement Of
the section as it stands, slightly
changing some of the language and
interpolating some of our own:
Section l. The meetings of electors
in any town. village or ward held for
the purpose of nominating candidates
or choosing delegates for the purposes
herein mentioned, are hereby defined
as caucuses and declared to be such.
and any person who shall vote or offer
to vote at any such caucus. unless at
the time be shall be qualified elector
of the caucus district for which such
caucus is held, shall be guilty of q
misdemeanor, and upon conviction
thereof shall be punished in the man
ner hereinafter provided. Caucuses
and meetings of political parties, un
less held under the provisions of this
act, are hereby declared to be unlaw-
full, and no political party shall have
it's political ticket placed upon the
official ballot or canvassed, Il. e., the
rOtes for such ticket shall not be can
vassed,) at elections, unless the nom
nations Of its candidates are made in
accordance with the provisions of this
act, whenever such caucuses or meet
ings of political parties are held foI
tie purpose of nominating candidates
or for choosing delegates to assemble
IN convention to nominate candidates
| # such candidates so nominated by
! c1jph NV ,al
are to be voted for at any general OF
municipal election held in any CITY il
ID this state, except cities of the thirG
| and fourth class; or if such candidates
so nominated by caucusas or conven-
tons as aforesaid IRE to be voted for
at any general, municipal, town OF
village election IN counties having q
population of two hundred thousand
or mere. And these provisions shall
apply to all meetings commonly call
ed caucuses, for nominating candid
ates or choosing delegates to conven-
tons to nominate candidates, whethe,
such meetings De caucuses or meetings
of political parties or not, if the can
dldates nominated by such meetings
or by such conventions are to be voted
| for at any Of the elections hereinbe-
| fore specified.
If the meaning of section | as thus re
arranged is clear and corresponds with
the intent of the Legislature, it seems
quite certain that the law has no ap-
plicatlon to the city of Manitowoc
nor indeed to any cities except those
of the first and second class and tc
counties having population of two
hundred thousand or more.
The second feature to be borne il
mind is that in cities and counties
where the law is to be applied nc
other method of nomination can be
permitted, except by nomination pap
ers.
The third feature is that the law it
self cannot be carried into execution
| anywhere. Sections and 9 of the ac,
provide for preliminary meetings fol
The naming of persons to be placed
upon the official ballot and voted fo,
at the caucuses. At these preliminary
meetings there may be four, five OF
SIX names proposed for a single office
or for delegate to a convention, eve
ry one of which must be printed upon
the official ballot to enable the voters
to vote for one of them. When the
votes are counted it may turn out that
each one Of the five or six names have
received the same or about the same
number of votes. Who, we ask, will
be declared the candidate or delegate
selected at the caucus? And who will
make the declaration? The act is EN-
tlrely silent on these questions. 1t
does not say that a majority of all
votes shall be necessary to nominate,
neither does it say that plurality
shall nominate. No rule for determin
ing the question is specified. No arl-
thorlty is given to any body or board
to declare the result. Under these
circumstances we are confident that
the law will never be used until it can
be amended, except under the press
ure OF stern necessity. The necessity
does not exist in Manitowoc because
Manltowoc is city of the third class.
and the law has no force or effect
here. Il is better to adhere to ex-
lstlng methods rather than incur the
hazard of nominations by small mi
norlty, especially when no one can say
that plurality was intended to nomi
nate, If indeed, the Legislature had any
intention on that subject.