The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-08-13
TO SECURE new Law
Senator Crossley Will Persist In
His Effort to Secure
Primary Law.

Senator Crossley, of Madison county,
who made hard fight for the enactment
of a primary election law that would
mean something, in the last session of
the general assembly, says that he pro-
poses to make still more vigorous
fight for a like measure in the next Win
ter's session, if returned. He will re-
ceive the cooperation of his colleague
in the house, Mr.. Green.
81 expect to press the measure again,
if sent back" said Senator Crossley.
The more read and the more learn,
the more firmly am l convinced that
the state needs a primary election law
that will govern primaries as definitely
as the general election laws govern our
elections. l am gratified that the Reg
lister and Leader is agitating this ques-
ton. believe it to be one of the mos
important before the people. am not
prepared to go to some of the lengths that
have been suggested in other states, and
in some enacted into law, but certainly
Iowa will be in the rear guard instead
of the front, where she belongs, if, as
her cities grow larger, she fails TO do
something to keep pure the fountain
head of our political system, the pri-
mary
The Crossley primary bill provided
for the nomination of all political
officers at a primary election in which
all should participate and in which the
Australian ballot should be used. 1t
also provided for the holding of con-
ventions, succeeding the primaries, but
F., the nominations were to be made at the
! primary election,
| The senator has been studying the sub
| lovt carefully since the last session and
will prepare a new measure extending
over more ground than the original one.
| 1t provided for the registration Of the
voters at each election as to their party
utilization, in order to determine which
party primary the next year they might
participate in. Senator Crosslcy sees no
hardship in this. If man be neithera
republican nor democrat, and does
not choose to say he is populist or a
member of any of the parties, there is
specific party primary. The bill that
he introduced last year did not provide
drastic penalties for violation. He
proposes to provide the same penalties
as apply to the general elections. AS
to the application of the law to cities
of certain size, only, such as above
5000 or above 10000 people, Senator
Crossley has not yet reached a conclu-
sion.
/ Probably he will propose a specific
system for conducting the primaries. He
had provided in the old bill that differ
ent tickets of each party be printed
separately, and the voter at the pri-
mary be given the one of the party
which the registration books show
him to be affiliated with, or which on
oath, he says he has or will affiliate
with. The section of his old bill re
lating to registration of political be
| lief is as follows:
: "Poll books in the manner provided
. by law shall be furnished for the pri
e mary election board Of each precinc
k and shall contain blank spaces for thu
n names of the candidates of the severa
e parties for the different Offices to b
IS written in, and blank spaces for tn
g registration by the clerks and til
It names of the electors voting at sal
primary election, and upon the page
IS provided for the registration Of sal
e voters there shall be ruled, commend
e ing at the left hand side of each pag
o separate columns perpendiculariy, an
across each line upon which the nam
B. of a voter is to be registered and heade
e at the top of said page with the wor
r "Republican," "Populist," prohibition
e and Socialist" to designate the sever;
parties, the first mentioned to be place
/ in the first of said columns and so on
r. numerical order. 1t shall be the dut
N of the clerks of the primary clectio
lie when registering the name Of a voter
place a cross in the column designa
ing the party ticket which was give
y to said voter upon his application for
~ ticket, and upon the final canvass
;; votes by the said board of primal
~ election the snumber of ballots of cac
n party taken from the ballot box mu
~ correspond with the number of nam,
~ and crosses in that party's column upe
4 the poll books
~ Senator. Crossley does not believe TIL;
the convention system should be dol
- away with and his bill expressly pr
:, vides as to the selection of delegates
:; the primary for each Of the parties al
Tho hold ;pr IF tho county, district NJ