The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-03-01
TO BAR COLD men
Gebhardt's Measure Would
Prevent Them From Vot-
ing at Democratic
Primaries.
PROVISIONS OF THE ACT
All Parties to Name Candi-
dates at the Same Time
Opposition to the
Bill.
PROVISIONS OF The ACT

Especial to 'aThe Jersey City News.'')
TRENTON, March l, 1902-Gold Demo-
Gratis who voted for Mckinley in 1900 and
democrats who voted for Governor Muir
ply last fall are barred out of Democrat
ic primaries and deprived from taking
any part in the naming of Democratic
nominees for office for the next three.
years by the terms of the proposed pri-
mary election law Senator Gebhardt, the
Democratic member from Hunterdon,
has introduced in the Senate The Hun
terdon statesman agrees with the declar-
ations made by Governor Murphy in his
inaugural address regarding the need of
primary law to prevent fraud in the
making of party nominations, and when,
after the lapse Of six weeks, no RepubH-
can legislator had appeared with meas
ure carrying out the Governors sugges-
tions, he threw himself into the breach
and drew a bill thirty-one pages long,
which he asserts would render impossible
the packing of primaries, use of joker
ballots, juggling of the count and other
methods known to primary manipulators
for making the wish of the minority ap-
pear to be the demand of the majority.
Instead of each party having its pri-
maries to itself. Senator Gebhardt pro-
poses a general primary election, con-
Quoted by the regular election officers in
each district, with the same machinery,
and in the same manner as general
election, the counties and municipalities
to foot the bill in the same way they
now pay the cost of an election All the
qualified voters of ali parties are to vote
for their choice for party nominees in
one place and at the same time. and the
candidate receiving a plurality of the
votes of his party at such primary cleo
tion is to be the regular nominee
Separate primary elections are to be
held for the nomination of State and
county officers, and municipal officers.
Nominations for State and county officers
are to be made four weeks before the
general fall election, and municipal Off
GERS are to be nominated three weeks be-
fore the election at which they are to be
voted upon. Townships and boroughs are
to be allowed to make their nominations
for local officers in any way they see fit,
as now
No ballots but official ballots printed
and furnished by the county or city clerk
are to be used at the primary elections,
voted upon at the primary, a petition or
statement of the candidate must be flied
with the county or city clerk at least ten
days before the date for the primary cleo
tion. Party conventions may be held as
now, but their action and choice, instead
of being final, will be subject to the vote
Of the rank and file of the party at the
nominating primary. Certificates of can
didacy may be made by the officers of
party conventions, or Independent nomi-
nations, either for candidates of an exist
ing political party, or of Independent
movements. may be made by any citizens
who take the trouble to file a petition
with the clerk within the prescribed time.
On the day of the primary election the
polls are to remain open from o'clock
in the morning to 7 o'clock in the even
ing. There is to be no special registration
for the primaries, and no voters whose
names are not on the last registry list for
the district will be allowed to vote When
the polls have closed the election officers
are to count the ballots of each party,
keeping a separate record of the party
ballots. credits and debts of each candi-
date, and the candidate receiving the
highest vote in the district, ward, city.
county or State will be the recognized
candidate of his party. The law is in
tended to prevent Republicans giving
credits to Democratic candidates, or vice
versa, and any ballots that are thus
scratched or pasted are to be rejected, al
though the voters may vote for their in
dividual choice of candidates of their own
party, In writing, or BY means of pastors.
the ballots
Besides being registered, each voter at
the primary election will have to an
nounce and prove his party Affiliations TO
the satisfaction of the election officers,
who are to take oath previous to the
opening Of the polls" that they will cnal-
lenge the vote of any person offering to
vote at such election whom they believe
not entitled to vote thereat, and that they
will also challenge the vote of any person
offering at such election to vote the ticket
of one existing political party. who they
believe. or have reason to believe, belongs
to another existing political party. and
that they will refuse to receive the vote
of such person until he shall have taken
an oath that he is a member of the ex-
isting political party whose ticket he
purposes to vote, and at the last national
election voted the electoral ticket of such |
party, and for its Gubernatorial nominee
at the last Gubernatorial election; any
person taking such oath Falsely shall pc
guilty OF perjury
1t Is this last named provision of the |
Gehbardt biz that $ Is is not & likely to mees nee
leagues with any degree of unanimity, as |
1t would debar any Democrat who voted !
for either Mckinley or Murphy from taxi !;
I>ax h