The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1903-02-06
THE PRIMARY BILL.
Measure Approved by Admins
tration Will BE Pushed
to Passage.
U. s. SENATORS PROVIDED FOR
Party Choices Named in Primary
EiectiOns-RaiirOad Taxation
This Week,

Madison, Feb. 3.-Chief interest CEN
terS III the primary election bill which
we now have in official shape. 1t will
be remembered two bills were intro
duced i'll the assembly (by Messrs.
Frear and Andrew, respectively-both
LaFollette men, They went to COM
mittee and already there energies from
committee Il new bill (superseding the
others, on which the fight will be
made. There is little doubt that Gov
ernOr LaI'ollette 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 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-
tenn of nOn-partisan 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 a 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.
. A.G The Nomination Paper.
If you wish to stand for office, either
you or your friends must get names of
citizens to Il nomination paper"
A citizen may not sign more than one
paper 0lis will embalTass men who
wish to be popular, especially It they
decline to sign the first paper, and
sign 4 second that comes alOngD and
the signer must give his residence adj
dress. One or more afiidavits are filed
IDS many as are necessary-c2rtify-
ing that all the signers are electors.
- How Many signers?
But, you ask, How many signers
must l get if l wish to get nv name
on the ticket?' the primary election
ticket. II you are a candidate for
state office (say state treasurar) your
petition must be signed by about 200
nameS--mOreOyer, these must repre-
sent at least six counties Of the 20
in the state and papers must be circrl-
lated in at least 0ne-tenth OF the dis
trict precincts.
Suppose It Is 81 County Office
However, if you wish a county Of
flee. 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
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, IN
influence and prestige more than local.
The independent Vote
The plan leaves lOOp-hOle for the
''small party''-the minority which
may some day be a 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 rs 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
candidate for alderman in Madison
you must leave with the city clerk a
petition signed by about 100 citizens.
Progress of Taxation Measures.
Primary elections having the first
inning, the question of taxation is tenn
porarily eclipsed. The report of the
state tax commission. however, is we'll
received and it is vigorous and di-
rect document. OF the chapter on the
taxation of credit-at which point
Messrs. ellison and Curtis take issue
with the governor-COl. w. j. Ander-
son says: 1T is the most sensational
If such 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 folly to
longer try to perpetuate the pretense
of taxing it. In Il most carefully devel-
oped argument the reasons are given,
clearly and strongly, why there never
should have been any effort to tax