The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-27
MINNESOTA POLITICS
suggestions for Improvement Of Primary
Election Law that Are Worth Consider.
,atIon-one Calls for Second Primary and
the Other for Combination OF Primary
and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Legislative
Contest In the Fifty third District.

If the primary election system is to be
extended to, state officers, there should
be some Improvement In the law as it
now stands. The direct primary is here
to stay. Few people in Minnesota will
question that. But the law now on the
statute books is very far from perfect,
and 1t is about time for another step for
ward in its evolution.
Two suggestions are being considered
for doing away with tho present evil Of
minority nominations Both suggestions
are worth consideration. They are open
to objection, but no scheme has yet been
devised that is absolutely satisfactory. In
default Of perfect plan, the legislature
VIII have to struggle with improvements
of various kinds.
The simpler Of the two ideas is that of
the second primary Under this plan,
wherever primary election fails to give
candidate a majority Of all the votes
cast, there will be a second primary cleo
ton held within a few days, and at this
primary the choice will be limited to the
two candidates standing highest on the
other vote Except in case of a tie, this
would insure a majority selection. The
primary election now Is held on the first
registration day, and the second primary
could be held on the second day Of regis
tration, two weeks after the first. Those
voting at the first primary would be al
lowed .to vote again. and to this vote
would be added any other qualified voters
who came to register. This would make
1t possible to get out a larger and more
representative vote at the second cleo
ton. 81
This plan would be absolutely fair and
decisive. It is the plan now used in cleo
lions for the French chamber Of deputies.
The only valid objection to it Is the ex-
pense and trouble of the second primary
This would be urged strongly against the
change, but the same argument was used
a ha snrnc .lor1 tn, he R,ef Ia,
stance. People seem to be very well sat
ished to stand the extra expense in order
to get a direct vote on nominations and
they might not object seriously to paying
I a little more and getting an absolute ma
jority. choice. 4. EST.
: The other, suggestion requires a little
more machinery, but not so great an ex-
pense as the second primary. It provides
for eleeting. delegates from the precincts
at the same time that the: primary is held.
Then If the primary failed to give any
candidate "a clear majority of the popular
vote, the party convention would meet
and select from the two highest, or from
the entire field of candidates. Under this
scheme the precincts would elect delegates
to the county convention just as they do
now. For the state convention the candi-
dates could put up tickets in each county
or city ward and the county delegation
could be elected by the primary VOTE thus
doing away with bolts and contesting
delegations. This plan Is now followed
| In Milwaukee and works very we'll. Dele
gates to- the state convention are elected
there by wards. In the primaries last
spring some contests resulted, but the
wisconsin state convention paid very lit
tie attention to them. One ward was
thrown out entirely where illegal voting
was proved, but no contesting delegations
were. given Seats.
Under this plan, voters would declare
their choice for governor directly, and
also vote directly for delegates to the
state convention, bringing that convention
close to the people The candidate with
a popular majority could not be beaten
out Of the nomination, and minority
candidate would be impossible.
There seems to be considerable merit in
both of these suggestions and no doubt
they will be considered by the legislature
next winter.
One advantage that is presented by
both these proposed plans Is that both
parties would make their nominations at
the same, time. Republican nominations
would be made by republican votes, and
democratic nominations by democratic
votes. One Of the crying evils Of the re-
cent governorship fight was the participa-
ton Of democrats in republican primaries.
Even under the direct primary this will
be done TO some extent, but the evil will
be minimized, because the democrats will
have nominations Of their own to make,
and they will hesitate to ask for rep,lb-
lican ballot.
William Dover Of Wadena filed yester-
day for the republican nomination for rep
resentative from the fifty-third district.
He is the heir apparent of DR.. Babcock,
while the other element Of the party in
Wadena county will support Judge Asher
Murray. e. r. Kinds Of Park Rapids is a
candidate for denomination and is not
likely to have any opposition from his
section, so the fight for the second place
will be waged In all three counties Of
the district between Murray and Dover.
Charles B. Cheney.