The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1903-01-29
THE PRlMARYLAW.,

THE PRIMARY LAW
Several amendments to the pri-
mary election law are now before
the house and senate, and OF these
the one prepared by Senator Thorpe
of Willmar, seems to be as good as
any. This provides that all tick
cts shall be printed on the ballot
the name of each political party
appearing in bold type at Me top of
the respective tickets, the candi-
dates of the various parties being
in parallel columns. Each voter
is given ballot, and.he will put a
cross opposite the name of the po-
Itical party for whose candidate he
wishes to vote. He then marks
the candidate of his choice. Should
he mark the candidates of any
other political party his vote for
this candidate will not be counted.
If he fails to indicate his political
party his vote will not be counted
for any candidate. This preserves
the secrecy of the ballot, but it does
not prevent Republicans from vot-
ing the Democratic primary ticket,
or contra wise, and neither does
the present law, unless the voters
happen to be known to the judges.
If both parties have a primary
ticket Thorpe's scheme will work
as satisfactory as any yet devised,
although the primary law does not
permit members of one party vot-
ing for candidates of the other at
the primary election to greater
extent than was possible under the
caucus system. In counties where
one party is largely in the ma.
jority and there is a close contest
for nominations, many of the vot-
ers of the weaker party will take
a hand in nominating men whom
they will oppose at the polls.
That, says the Journal Press, is the
great defect in the primary elect
ion, and the way to remedy it has
not yet been discovered.
But is it not a theoretic, rather
than a real objection? Where one
party is overwhelmingly in the ma
jority it would be difficult matter
to defeat its candidates at the polls
anyway, still more difficult to get
such concerted action on the part
of the minority as to seriously i'm
peril any candidate. s. j..
But to, 60 step farther; in such
county as Stearns, and there are
number such in the state, when
one party is so overwhelmingly in
the ascendant that the minority
does not put ticket in the field,
the present law will not admit of
minority voter to have any voice
in selecting candidate. The ed
itor of the Journal Press, as also
of the HERALD has very pronounced
preference as between candidates
for county offices, even though
such candidates are all Democrats,
and it is presumed feels as compe-
tent to akee choice as does any
Democrat, and yet he may not ex-
press that choice at the primaries,
nor at the polls. He is actually
disfranchised so far as public Of
ficers which most nearly affect
his interest are concerned.
This is palpably wrong nor does it
meet the point to say that it is his
privilege to help nominate Re-
publican ticket. That would be in.
ept and impossible for the present
law has completely destroyed what
little partisan enthusiasm for cam
dldates and. whatever of party or
ganizatlon. the Republicans for
merly had in this county. Up to
the campaign of 1902 the Repub.
licans of Stearns county were pos
tive and aggressive power for good
in the election of local officers.
They might not say who should be
elected, but they did say who
should not. That is, they could
not select and elect candidate Of
their own, but they could defeat
an undesirable one as between
Democratic candidates-and that
was no mean privilege.
Let the law be amended 50 as to
give every voter chance in nam.
ing his choice for a candi date for Of
at Ieast. 49,.
Repors from Washington are to