Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-02-04
KING
CAUCUS
Dethroned If Primary
Election Bill
Wins.
Treasure introduced in
Both Houses of
Legislature.
Details of It's Many
Novel and Radical
Provisions.

A measure unquestionably the most
Important of the entire session and
one which will excite the widest inter-
est, was introduced in both houses of
the legislature last evening. This
was the primary election bill, embody-
ing the issue upon which Mr.. La Fol
Iette made his sensational fight for the
governorship. Gov. La Follette's
home representatives, Senator Miller
and Assemblyman Stevens, presented
the measure in their respective houses
and in each case it was referred to the
committee on privileges and elections
The bill is understood to represent
Gov. La Follette's ideas and to be a
composite production, typifying the
best thought of the governor, H. c..
Adams, Senator Miller, Assemblyman
Stevens and others having the con-
dence of the executive.
The measure is radical. 1t abolish
es caucuses and conventions entirely;
provides that the primaries shall be
conducted exactly as elections are;
that persons can be voted for at the
primaries whose names are on nomi-
nation papers signed by 2 per cent. of
the electors of the party In the state,
district county or city as
the case may be, but the right to write
in any names the electOr chooses is
not forbidden; that at the same time
precinct party committees are chosen
at the primary; that the inspectors
duly certify up to the secretary of
state, county or city clerk, the results
of the primaries; that the party chair
men meet and count the precinct re-
turns and announce the nominations;
that, in the case of state officers, con-
gressmen and legislators, the county
chairmen shall meet in Madison one
week after each primary election and
determine who is nominated, and that
finally the nominees shall be voted for
at the general election as now provid-
ed for by law. Platforms are to be
made by the nominees in unique
manner. The privilege of independ-
ent action at the polls is not abridged.
The bill in detail is as follows:
Section l. All statutes pertaining to po-
gitical caucuses and conventions for the
nomination of all officers provided for in
this act are hereby repealed.
Sec 2. Hereafter, all candidates to be
voted for by the people, except those for
judicial village township or school dis
trict offices, or at special elections to I'LL
vacancies, shall be nominated either at a
primary election, held in accordance with
this act or by petition in accordance with
subdivision 8 of section 80, of the statutes
of 1898.
Sec g. Primary elections shall be held
at the regular polling place in each cleo
ton precinct in this state, on the hrst
Tuesday in September, 1902, and btennlally
thereafter, for the purpose of nominating
candidates to be voted for at the next gen
eral election, and shall likewise be held Tor
= the purpose of nominating candidates TO
be voted for at any other than general
election at least three weeks before the
date of holding such election.
Sec A. On or before sixty days prior to
the holding of any such general election
the secretary of state shall make OUT ana
transmit a notice thereof in writing, TO eacn
county town, village and city clerk, ana
designate therein the offices for when can
. didates for nomination are to be voted Ior
at such election. Upon receipt OF sucn no
tice, each county clerk shall forthwith pup
fish so much thereof as may be applicable
to his county in a newspaper OF general
circulation published therein, in the inter
eests of each political party, and each town,
village and city clerk shall forthwith cause
notice of the holding OF such election to be
posted in three public places in each cleo
ton precinct in his town, village or city,
as required by section % of the statutes
of 1898. Each county clerk on the first
Monday of June, 1902 and biennially
thereafter, shall transmit to the secretary
of state the name and postofice address of
each town, city and village clerk in his
county. In the case of city elections, the
city clerk shall make one publication or the
notice in a newspaper of general circulation
published in the interests of each political
marty therein, and cause notice to be posted
in three public places In each precinct
therein, such publication and posting to be
at least six weeks before any such primary
election.
Sec. 8 The name of no candidate shall
be printed upon an official ballot at any pri-
mary election unless at least forty days
prior thereto there be filed in his behalf a
nomination paper, stating his name, resi-
~dence, with street and number, III any, the
office for which he is a candidate, the party
ne proposes to represent and no other.
Such paper shall in all cases be signed by
at least per cent. of the voters OF the
party named and proposed to be represented
therein, resident in the state, or the polit-
ical subdivision thereof as the case may be,
in which such person is proposed as can
didate. In case of candidates for state Of
fees the electors signing shall be distrib-
uted over and reside in at least twelve (12)
counties of the state in case of candidates
for congress the electors signing shall be
distributed over and reside in at least one
fifth (1-5) of the election precincts in at
least one-half OPP of the counties in that
congressional district; in case of candidates
FOR the state senate or the assembly, the
electors signing shall be distributed over
and reside in at least one-ffth (1-5) Of the