The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-17
A PRIMARY ELECTION LAW.
The Republican Party Should Make
Good the State Conventions Pledge.
the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
At the Republican state convention last
April the resolutions declared that 'the
Republican party pledges itself to do all
In its power TO bring about the adoption
of an adequate primary election law"
This, then, is the party platform, the party
creed on THAI subject. What else can the
Republican Legislature do, if the party
keeps it's pledge to the people, than to pass
a primary election law? The stultifying
record of the Democratic party two years
bills should not be duplicated by the Re
i%ublicans at the coming Legislature. Re
publicans boast of keeping the party
pledges. Why. then, depart from its good
record On the question of a primary cleo
lion law? Objections lave been raised to
such a law by those who claim that the
smaller community ano smaller township
would be cut of from any chance of places
on the ticket under a direct vote primary
election law. They say that in county
elections the larger townships could name
the entire ticket. Such statements are
mere statements and cannot be proven by
the facts of experience. Hamilton county
Republicans, with one exception, have
nominated the county ticket for more than
a quarter of a century by primary. They
have been fair and the results as salts
factory as the convention plan. The places
on the ticket have been generally we'll dis
tributed over the county and the smaller
townships have Jared equally as we'll as
the larger. Sometimes one township gets
more than its rightful share, but the score
IL evened up at the next election. To prove
the above statements 1 give the figures of
the past three primaries. I leave out of
this estimate the nominations for county
council and commissioners for the reason
that they are nominated by districts. The
following table shows the result of the
primaries in 1000. 1898 and 1896:
Primary Feb. Is. 1900
No. Rep.
Office nominee township. votes
Representative-Neal, Noblesville. ......1 259
Pr's'c'ting att'r'ny-Beals, Washington SIS
Auditor-Powell. Clay .................. 25S
Treasurer-Lennen, Mediterranean. 162
Sheriff-Bray, Jackson ................. ST.
County assessor-Nagle. NoblesviIle. II. go
County surveyor-Mitcheil Jackson..... 81
Primary Feb. 10, 1885,
Representative-Neal, Noblesville. $500 .25s
Prosecuting At'rn'y-Garver, N'brsville. i, 259
Clerk-Carey. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. $50
276
RecorderSCarroil Jackson;.":-".... 76
observation-disclosures, NOblesville $50
Surveyor-Mitchell, Jackson.....-.....- 746
Primary 1896
Observation-Disclosures, Noblesville
Prosecuting attorney-Baldwin, Noblesville.
Auditor-Sturdevant, Washington.
Treasurer-Gibbs. Wayne.
Sheriff-Owen Washington.
Surveyor-Mitchell, Jackson.
Assessor-Carson, Jackson.
The above shows that at the last pri-
mary Noblesviile township, with nearly
| one-third of the Republican vote of the
county, got only The representative and
county assessor. The hest Office (auditor)
went to Clay township, with Us votes out
OF a fetal in the county of 4,313. The next
best Office (treasurer) went to Wayne
township. with 162 Republican votes, and
the sh, riffs office was given to Jackson
township, with 81 votes. The records show
hat not since 1876 has Noblesville town.
ship. with its big vote. had the auditors
office. They also show that the treasurer's
| Office has beer given to Noble sville tou n
ship but once m sixteen years. Wayne
pwnship, the smallest q County except
| Fall Creek. has had the county treasurer
three times in the last ten wears.
In fact. the primary has become so es-
tablished by custom that no other manner
CT nomination is seriously considered. They
are governed, so far as practicable and
POSSIBLE, by the rules governing gen eral
| elections The spirit of a legal election. is
! observed without the saDctity and binding
force % a statute. So far as Hamilton
county is concerned il does not specially
| need a primary election law. II has fair
ond satisfactory primaries without the
law. However. we Hamilton Republicans
| are quite sure such a law will do them no
harm. II Marion county needs such a law
10 secure better government I am in favor
cf doing a good torn by helping 1t get what
Hamilton has ard what Marion needs I
believe in laws that will do the greatest
good TO the greatest number. The pri-
Tary election law Is certainly one OF these
laws. l am for the law because I believe
N Is right. / am for IL because the marty is
pledged TO give the PEOPLE this reform.
and Il is good policy TO fulfill party pledges
unless some serious and paramount" rea-
son should be shown 70 the contrary.
WILL II. CRAIG.
' Noblesville. nd. Dec. Is.