The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1902-08-01
THE Cooperation Plan
Some Reasons Why the Popusts and Democrats
Adopted the Cooperative Plan for the
Coming Campaign


Il ~ l. L l. v
AS YOU are well aware the last re-
publican legislature enacted what is
known as the anti-fusiOn law.
The purpose of the statute was to |
prevent the union of the popullst and
democratic vote upon the same candl-
dates for Office.
The statute, therefore, first forbade
any candidate for Office to acceptthe
nomination of more than one political
party. and thus it was hoped to pre-
vent the nomi nation OF the same can
didates by more than one party.
In order to make sure of this it was
further provided that in case per-
son should be nominated by more
than one party, he should, at least
thirty days before the election, deslg-
nate which party's nomination he
would accept; thus compelling the
nominee of two or more parties to In
suit one or more of them by refusing
to accept such party's or parties
nOminati on. This it was supposed
would effectually prevent the popu-
lists and democrats of the state from
ever again attempting to unite upon
the same candidates, seeing that the
nominees must reject the one nomlna-
tion or the other and thus ALLEVIATE
~
parties.
At first it was supposed by some
that the evil effect of the law might be
best avoided by one of the parties
nominating a portion of the ticket
and the other nominating the rest OF
the ticket, and have each party simply
ind the action of the other, and
each party commend the candidates
of the other to its voters: and thus
have the democratic voter vote his
own ticket and the populist ticket,
and the popalist voter vote his own
ticket aud the democratic ticket. This
would have been difficult program
to carry out under any circumstances,
and the republican leaders and con-
spirators took pains to make it as
difficult as possible by changing the
manner of marking the ballot under
the Australian ballot law. Formerly
the voter made his mark in the square
opposite the name of every candidate
for whom he wished to vote. This re-
Publican statute provides that ii the
voter desires to vote a straight ticket
he shall put his cross in the party
circle at the head of the ticket, and
also that if he puts his mark in the
party circle he shall put no mark
upon any other ticket on his ballot;
ballot
This was to prevent the populist
voter, after having first put his cross
In his own party circle, from passing
over and putting his cross in the DEM
oeratie party circle, or opposite the
names of mocratic candidates.: aud
to pre- vent the democra attic voter, after
putting his cross in his own party
circle, from putting his cross in the
popalist party circle. Or opposite the
names of populist candidates; Z; as
might but for this provision have
been done if each of these parties
should have nominated portion o
the ticket.
Thus having in effect forbidden in
the first instance the nomination by
the two parties of the same men by
forbidding the candidates to acc.pt
more than one nomination.: this law
goes further and attempts by pitfalls
TO prevent the voter from voting two
parts of tickets which taken together
would make = complete ticket; that is
to say, the law forbids the populist
and democrat from voting for each
Other's candidates in the same manner
that the republican can vote for his
candidate, by putting his mark in the
circle at the head of the ticket.
Those who favored two parts of
tickets to be supported blythe popu-
lists and democrats, therefore saw
that the only way in which the voters
could vote for the candidates on such
tickets would be for all the populists
and all the democrats to put their
cross marks opposite every name on
each of said tickets and absolutely
refrain from marking the ballot else
where. All saw at a glance that such
an attempt would inevitably result in
the lose OF a large percentage of the
populist and democratic vote through
confusion, misunderstao oding and care
lessness in voting. Thousands OF
populistS would in such case under
take to vote first in the party circle
and then pass over and attempt to
vote for the democratic candidates
either by marking also in the demo;
cratic party circle, or by marking
opposite the democratic candidates,
in either of which case the ballo,
would be thrown out and the vote lost.
Thousands of democratic voters
would make the same sort of attempt
\ to vote both tickets while many oi
both parties would mark only in their
own party circle and thus the loss oi
votes IN the state would inevitably be
H.