The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-28
DOIIGS OF NORTHWEST LEGISLATURES

| people versed in criminal procedure that
| it is impossible by the making of laws to
prevent people from doing wrong acts
| If 1t is possible to do them The only
way to prevent it is to make it impos-
sible for them to be committed.
So 1t is with the direct primary law
| as operated in Minnesota. A voter must
vote his own party ticket, for this reason;
there Is only one ticket, with no division
and the name of every candidate in that
party running for Office is on that ticket,
be he city, county, legislative, judicial
| or district officer. Thus, where there are
wards where a dominant party rules, and
| the weaker party might desire to scheme
so as to place a weak aldermanic cand;-
date on the opposition ticket he is pro-
hibited from doing so, because, in order
to vote on that other ballot he must
sacrifice all his votes for his party for
! judicial, county, district, legislative and
city candidates. 1t is this large ballot,
with nothing separating county from
city, city from district or. leg s'ative from
aldermanic, that prevents manipulation
entirely.
BALLOT AN ALTERNATING ONE.
There is another provision in the print
! ing of the ballots which is entirely new.
| and which is to be incorporated into the
general election law. When the ticket is
| printed an equal number of impress 'ons
|
different positions, the names beng al
| ternated as many times as there are
names in the official division containing
| the most candidates. AS every change is
made the name at the top is placed at
the bottom of that list and the other
names shovel up so as to make the fist
name come last. This does away with.
the unfairness and the benefit given the
| first name ON the ballot in the election.
This is all there is tc the law from the
voters standpoint. He has very little TO
worry him, and he reads his paper the
day after the primary election with the
calm satisfaction that he has had hand
in the nomination of every one of the
long list of successful candidates, one
way or the other. From the standpoint
of the politician, or the party man, there
is more to be considered. That will form
a little chapter in itself, which may he
described in plain terms, so that every
one can comprehend the idea.
Under the Minnesota general election
law there has always been an opening
for independent candidates getting on the
general election ticket after the con-
vention nominations. The only thing that
was necessary was for them to secure a
certain percentage of the voters of
district in which they live to sign a Pc
tition for their candidacy This is pre-
sented to the auditor, who then places
the name Of the party upon the ticket as
an independent candidate. That part of
the law is kept intact by the primary
law. But aside from the allowance of
an Independent candidate the law specific
ally provides that nominations for po-
htical parties by any other plan than by
the direct primary provided for are pro-
hibited and unlawful.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A PARTY.
Under the primary election law a po-
litical party is defined as a party which
! at the last general election cast at least
IL per cent of the total vote cast at the
election for it's leading candidate, or a
| party which shall procure a petition sign
ed by at least 10 per cent of the total
vote of county asking FOR party tick
ct. In no other way can party be rec
ognized. No other manner is allowed for
getting on gensral election ballot, ex-
cept by nomination by political party
as defined, and as an independent canGli-
date as provided by law. This shuts out
any scheming by convention that might
be INDUCED in by dissatisfied parties or
people, and prevents a multiplicity Of
tickets to cut up the VOTE
When the friends of a person or the
person himself desires to be candidate
Tor any position in the gift of the peo-
pie, he is required to first secure petit
ton signed by name of voters to the num-
Der of at least per cent Of the num-
Der of votes cast in his party for the
same position for which he desires to run
at the last election and having secured
them, he presents the petition to the
county auditor, pays a fee of $40 to part
~ defray the expense of the ballots
Eleven days before the date of the nri-
mary election the auditor groups the
candidates by Offices, makes up a sam
pIe-oallot and posts it in his office and
the next day he delivers the tickets to the
printer
printing the ballot are concise and plain
ana the printer has no trouble in fol-
lowing them, the result being a neat
small, perfect ticket that was easily
handled and marked. The space allotted
each name was three sixteenths of an
ilch wac, the ticket was arranged in
Two columns with a quarter inch flieree
between each column to separate them
ana no voter found any difficulty in Sc
lecung the names. Machine slugs We're
used, in boldface for the office headings
dark rule between each division and
the slugs were of the style known as
'minion caps
OPERATES MUCH TTKE Iru,>1D,D.y
LAW.
The provisions under which the law
operates sc far as it affects the election
shoWn in the reading of the law are
changed very little from the operation
under the general election law of the
slate; Lhere Is no change made in the,
appointment of the registration Judges
ana clerks, who are appointed by the
city council from lists furnished hv the
polltlcal parties No new provision was
heeoed except for the appointment of the
aQoluonal clerks, because of the work
necessary IN preparing the tally sheets.
Inefs peing one complete set for each
party. All the provisions used at general
election were put in use by the primary
law, so that there was nothing new To
learn. Any state Which draws a law of
the same kind should make its provi-
SONS conform as nearly as possible to
the general election plan, so that there
would be few changes in the counting and
general arrangements
very clever provision for the Dress
and consequently the public, in the Min
nesota general election law, is one which
REQUIRES that every voting district shall
send in a preliminary statement of The
result at that district. Blanks are fur
n1shed for the purpose, and as soon as the
count is completed the clerks fill out
' Inc PRELIMINARY unofficial statements and
messenger boys on bicycles at once hurry
with 1t to central office, furnished by
the newspapers, where the figures are
Lapulated. BY this system the result is
KNOWN fairly by the time the morning
papers go to press, and almost certain
for the afternoon issues. This idea was
Incorporated into the primary election
law.
These are the chief features of law
which has proved one of the most SEN
sational that was ever enacted, so far as
eiectlons are concerned. 1t was bold
stroke to change the whole fundamental
system of cur goernment, to take it
from the plan of government by repre-
sentation and place 1t in the lire of gov
eminent direct, but the simplicity of the
plan has made it a success. No sooner
was the final election over than there
We're number CT legislators bold enough
to state that they were going to the leg
islature for the purpose of striving to
repeal the law. They very soon decided
that they would not do so. The people
very soon Informed them that if they