Omaha daily bee., 1904-12-28
FRAMING NEW PRIMARY LAW
Representative Elect Dodge iS Preparing
Measure for Legislature.
IT WILL EMBopY SOME NOVEL FEATURES
Adaptation of Direct Primary Elec-
tion Laws Of wisconsin, MIME
sota and Massachusetts to
Nebraska Conditions.

The preparation Of the direct primary
nomination law, TO be fathered by the
b. Douglas delegation, has been undertaken
by Representative-elect N. p. Dodge, Jr., in
consultation with his associates and others
interested in the reform of party machln-
cry. Mr. Dodge has been studying the
primary election laws enacted in Mime
sofa, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin and the
bill to the same import that was intro
duced in the last legislature by Senator
Hastings, and is formulating his bill In the
light OF all this legislation. but with spe-
ctal adaptation of the Wisconsin lawio the
conditions existing in Nebraska. AS out
lined by Mr.. Dodge the features OF his bill
are explained as follows:
"a direct primary bill without the regis
tration features, which the proposed bill
will contain was introduced by Senator
Hastings at the last session of the legisla-
ture This bill was also modelled on the
Minnesota law. The proposed bill VIII pro
vide for the primary elections of all parues
on the same day, seven weeks prior to the
general election I'm November and hve
weeks prior to the city election In clues OF
the metropolitan class. Primary election
day will be the first day of registration
and the polls will be open from In the
morning until at night in the larger
cities. IL Will also Dt itbdi h'hN"s'
registrars will act as judges and clerks OF
the primary election At this election all
candidates for state, congressional, judi
cial county and city Offices Will be NOM
mated. The law will not apply to special
elections or to village, township or school
, district officers not members OF board OF
education. In addition to the nominal zee
as required by the Minnesota law candl-
dates will be compelled to file petitions
signed by On average of per cent of the
voters in the district wherein he is a candi-
date, no voter being permitted TO s.gn
more than one petition for any one office
and he must declare his intention to sup
port the CO andidate whose petition he signs,
this provision being part of the Wisconsin
law.
Rotation of Names on Ticket.
There has been considerable feeling of
the unfairness of the placing of candidates
names alphabetically, thus giving great
advantage to those whose names begin
near the top OF the alphabet. Consequently
in the proposed bill the names will be
changed in their order as many times as
there are candidates for any one Office,
each candidate having his name at the top
of as many tickets as any other, candi-
date If a candidate is nominated by more
than one party he must select the party
for which he desires to be the candidate.
Consequently his name cannot appear on
the ticket more than once.
'In order to vote at the primary the
elector must be registered and must state
that he has affiliated with the party at
whose primary he desires to vote and that
he intends to support its candidates at
the coming election. He will not be per-
mitted TO change his party affiliaton at
the registration on primary day, but must
give notice Of such change OF affiliation
at some prior time. This time and manner
have not been fully decided upon. The
two remaining registration days will be
placed at equal intervals between pri-
mary day and the election, but a longer
time will be set for the last registration
day prior to the election than under the
present law by giving at least a week to
check up false registration.
IT is not the intention to compel regis
tration In districts in which 1t is not re-
quired by the existing laws. but the direct
primary system will apply to all sections
of the state, doing away with all conven-
tons except for special elections.
Provision is made for the formation of
new parties and their participating in the
primaries and the nomination OF independ-
ent candidates
THE manner of electing a county, judi
cial, congressional and state committee
has not yet been determined. I do in
tend TO provide law for the entire state,
but should the legislature oppose such a
measure the Douglas county delegation
insofar as know, is unanimous to favoring
a primary law for Douglas county"