Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-02-05
THE PRIMARY BILL.
Measure Approved by Admins
tration Will Be Pushed
to Passage.
o. S. SENATORS PROVIDED FOR
Party Choices Named in Primary
EleCtiOns-Railroad Taxation
This Week.

Madison, Feb. 3-Chief interest cen
tiers in the primary election bill which
we now have in official shape. 1t will
be remembered two bills were intro
duced in the assembly (by Messrs.
Frear and Andrew, respectively-both
IaFOllette men, They went to COM
mittee, and already there energies from
committee a new bill (superseding the
others, on which the fight will be
made. There is little doubt that Gov
ernOr LaFollette has been closely con-
suited as to the measure. The rapid
ity with which the matter has eli
NAKED is characteristic of the man and
administration.
U. S. Senators Included.
A striking feature of the bill is that
its provisions apply to United States
senators-thus, while, as now, the
legislatures would elect such, the can
didates of each party will be named
by the partisans at a primary cleo
ton. All judiciary officers will be ex-
empt from the scope of the law-this
will please the judges of all the courts,
who are content with the present sys-
TEN of comparison petitions as the
machinery of nominations. Also are
exempt state superintendent of ed
ucation, town, village, and school dis
trict officers.
Suppose You Wanted Office.
The plan would thus operate: Sixty
days before the September date fixed
for the primary (for general cleo
tom, Mr.. Houser, the secretary of
state would notify the clerks of all
villages, cities and counties. Promptly
within ten days. each clerk must
publish to the voters of his district the
fact of an approaching election with
instructions to those who wish to fig
ure as candidates.
The Nomination Paper.
If you wish to stand for office, either
you or your friends must get names Of
citizens to nomination paper"
A citizen may not sign more than one
paper Ghis will embarrass men who
wish to be popular, especially if they
decline to sign the first paper, and
sign a second that comes alongD and
the signer must give his residence adj
dress. One or more affidavits are filed
as many as are ecessary-certify-
ing that all the signers are electors.
How Many Signers?
But you ask, How many signerS
must 1 get if 1 wish to get my name
on the ticket?" the primary election
ticket. If you are candidate for
state office (say state treasurer your
petition must be signed by about 2,7O0
names-moreover, these must repre-
sent at least six counties of the 20
in the state and papers must be circu-
lated in at least one-tenth Of the dis
trict precincts.
Suppose It Is a County Office.
However, if you wish county Of
fee, your petition must carry five per
cent of the vote of the party-say
1000 names in Dane county-and one
third Of the election precincts must
be represented. There are about so
precincts in Dane county. You must
drive out-or some friend-tO one
third this number of places and get
some signatures from each. This pro-
vision is not merely to discourage
every fellow from running from office
it presupposes an acquaintance an
influence and prestige more than local.
The Independent Vote.
The plan leaves a loop-hole for the
''small party"-the minority which
may some day be majority. If the
party receives even one per cent Of
the total vote at the preceding cleo
ton, it is entitled to representation
on the day of election as a party. And
the man who would run independent
the reform mayor" the "non-partisan
alderman"-must secure the sigma
lures of two per cent of the total vote
of the last general election; that is, if
you wish to run ''independent" as a
candidate for alderman in Madison
YOU must leave with the city clerk
petition signed by about 100 citizens.
Progress of Taxation Measures.
Primarv elections having the first
inning. the question of taxation is tenn
porarily eclipsed. The report of the
state tax commission, however, is well
received and it is a vigorous and dl-
rect document OF the chapter on the
taxation of credit-at which point
Messrs ellison and Curtis take issue
with me governor-Col. w. j. Ander-
son says: ut is the most sensational
if such a word may be used in this
connection-because of the advanced
ground taken After giving a history
of the efforts that have been made to
reach intangible property for taxation,
and pointing out the impossibility of
ever reaching for assessment any con-
siderable portion of this class of prop
erty, it is contended that it is foil. to
longer try to perpetuate the pretense
of taxing it. In most carefully devel-
oped argument the reasons are given,
clearly and strongly, why there never
should have been any effort to tax