The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-16
PRIMARY ELECTION LAW
MIR. HERNLY WILL NAME A COM
MITTEE TO HELP DRAFT A BILL.
Action Taken I'm Answer to Sugges-
ton from President of state
Board of Commerce.

A few days ago William Fortune. pres
ident of the Indiana State Board of Com
merce, addressed the following letter to
Chairman Hernly. of the Republican state
committee: "The election having resulted
in a sweeping victory for the Republican
party in Indiana on a platform pledging
support of certain measures in the interest
of Me public. permit me at this time to
again call your attention TO the steps
which have heretofore been taken jointly
by the Indiana State Federation of Labor
and the Indiana State Board of Commerce
for bringing about the enactment of salts
factory primary law in Indiana. The in
terest in this matter of these two organi-
cations was. as you will doubtless recall,
communicated to you prior &c the Repub-
lican state convention, with the suggestion
that II was desired that the Republican
party should make a strong declaration in
its state platform in favor of the enact
ment of the best primary election law that
could be devised. In accordance with this
request the state platform of your party
contained such declaration. L am well
aware of your own great interest in bring
ing about such legislation indicated by
you personally in expressions even prior
to the matter being formally taken up by
the two organizations named, and l am
sure that as the representative of your
party it is your wish to make good this
pledge in way that will be as nearly as
possible entirely satisfactory to the public.
Permit me, therefore, TO suggest that
you at once taken steps In this direction
by appointing a committee to cooperate
with representatives of the Indiana State
Federation of Labor and the Indiana State
Board of Commerce to gather information
from all available sources as to the most
essential provisions for the safeguarding
of primary elections and to prepare bill
embodying these provisions for the con-
sideration of the Legislature at its COM
ing session. This will insure representa-
tive and deliberate consideration of the
matter. If the matter is taken up in this
way 1t is important that the commission
should undertake it's work at early
date and l ask, therefore, the favor OF an
early response to my suggestion
MR. HERNLY'S REPLY.
Chairman Hernly yesterday addressed
reply to President Fortune saying that he
is very much interested in this matter. Il
fully realize" the chairman wrote, the
difficulty in drafting. a law to control pri-
maries because of the vast amount of work
that will be necessary TO be done to per-
feet that kind of a law, but it is a great
struggle to keep good government alive.
and without beginning and without ever
lasting perseverance nothing Will be done.
l believe that all political parties should
hold their nominations for all local offices
on the same day throughout the entire
State, and that there should be reglStra-
ton of voters connected with the primary
election, and unless the voter appears at
the primaries he should not be permitted TO
vote at the general election. This will GER
tainly get everybody interested in the pri-
maries and will do much TO eliminate the
criticism of the political bosses and THE
political machine. The business man, and
indeed all of our citizens, must give more
time to looking after good government and
less time to criticising the politician.
II have no patience with a business man
nor anybody else who has practiced un-
scrupulous methods all his life decrying
the politician. People who work in politics
for the purpose of establishing good gov
eminent are not all politicians in the sense
that that term is usually applied to the
men who have control of the party ma
chinery.
AMENDMENTS NEEDED.
Nothing can be accomplished in the
way of government without organization.
and 1t requires great deal of hard work
to organize political party, because there
are so many interests at stake, and in this
connection permit me to say that many
amendments are needed to what is now
known as the Australian ballot law, such
as We nave IN INDIANA. Already the prdc-
tice OF manipulating the election boards
has grown TO an alarming extent, and in
some counties in the late election the cor
ruption of election boards was attempted,
and in many places accomplished to an
alarming extent. great many voters
were practically disfranchised in some of
the southern counties of Indiana, growing
out of this fragrant wrong against the peo-
pie. This corruption of election boards had
its origin in the city of Evansville, in the
election of a Democratic mayor, and was
followed in the city of Indianapolis on a
large scale, in the last city election, and
l am convinced that the only way TO rem
edy this great evil Is TO allow watchers to
the count, and to preserve the ballots after
the count.
FAVORS VOTING MACHINES.
II have received many letters from vari-
Gus parts of the State showing the neces-
sity for changes in the Australian ballot
law and am satisfied that nothing will pre-
vent these frauds but the voting machine.
and am in favor of conducting our cleo
tions in the future by the very best ma
chine that is on the market and believe
that law should be drafted and enacted
by our legislature compelling all voting
to be done by the voting machine
II am in favor of good government, and
good government is always an issue, in or
out of the campaign. and | am ready to
join any movement that tends TO reform
our politics and bring good government
TO the people, and / know that no step
can be taken that will bring such good
results as the primary election law and
the voting machine.
II will consult with the committee AMI
ask them TO assist you in bringing about
the good work which the State Board of
Commerce and State Federation of Labor
have undertaken to promulgate and will
send you the names in a few days.