Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-12-13
TO THE
SOLONS'.
Governor Wants Majority
Nominations at Pri-
mary Elections.
Serious Defects in Capitol
Law Demand
Remedy.
Ballot Reform Urged and In
surance Investigation
Suggested.

Governor Robert NJ. La Follettes
message to the legislature deals with
all subjects referred to in the call for
the special legislative session. and the
governor will go to the senate!
A particularly long portion is de
voted to primary elections, the
governor desiring such an amend
ment as will in every case put ma
1ority, not a plurality, nominee be-
fore the people. This is the law now
in Australia, the home Of the modern
ballot On this subject the governor
says in part
1T viii be urged by those who
would break down the principle Of
nominations by direct vote OF the
citizen, that, since the primary cleo
ton law permits plurality nomina.
tions, it should be so changed as to
provide for the election of delegates
10 conventions and that delegates so
elected should make nomination in
every case where a candidate fails TO
get a majority vote, under the primary
election. This would mean in the end
the nomination OF practically all can
didates by delegates rather than by
direct vote Of the people. 1t would
easily be in the power of any politi-
cal organization to put up several can.
didates for each Office and so divide
the vote as to deprive any candidate
of majority. Neither would any
protection be afforded, by limiting the
candidates to be voted for in the con
vention TO those who were highest on
the ticket at the primary election.
There would still be the same oppor-
tunity TO manipulate delegates, and
thwart the will of the people by cor
ruption The moment the important
business of choosing candidates is
taken out Of the hands of the people
and turned over TO delegates or
agents, that moment the mischief is
done, The door is open for deals and
Iickers and fraud Under this method
the people will again lose their CON
troll. They can never regain it. Con.
troll lost in making the nominations is
the loss of control in government.
IF majority nominations can be Sc
cured by direct vote of the people in
a primary, it must be conceded that it
would be preferable to transferring
this important business to delegates.
That this can be easily attained is
very apparent upon examination. We
have but to turn to the country from
which we took the Australian ballot
for our lesson. Since 1892 the elector
there has enjoyed the right to use
what is called the contingent vote.
This is simply the order of preference
called into play to assert the principle
of election by absolute majority
This plan provides a ballot upon which
the elector marks his first and second
choice or order Of preference. Where
but two candidates are IN the field
there is no occasion for the exercise of
the second choice in order to insure
majority nomination. but where there
are three candidates or more than
three candidates, the ballot provides
opportunity for the delegate to lndi
cate his second choice. If, after the
ballots are counted. no candidate has
an absolute majority of first choice
votes. then the ballots cast for the
lowest candidate on the list are as
sorted with reference to second
choices for the remaining candid ates.
If no one then receives a majority of
first and second choice ballots, a sim
liar assortment of the ballots OF the
lowest remaining candidates is made
on the basis of second choices and
added to the votes Of other candl-
dates and so on until some candidate
has a majority of first and second
choice. An examination of this sub.
ject win make 1t plain that under this
method it will rarely be necessary to
canvass the entire second choice vote
to secure a majority nomination. This
plan effectually prevents the lowest or
weakest candidate from getting a nom
ination on second choice. II accords
to the first choice vote its due impor.
lance over that of the second choice
and secures to the candidate strongest
with most of the voters the majority
nomination. This is a simple method
OF determining by majority vote the
nomination of candidate for each of
fee on the primary election ballot"
Railway Taxation.
The governor calls attention 70 the
litigation by which railways are oppos
ing payment OF the taxes adjudged as
just by the state commission. ana
adds:
1.-THE railroad taxes now due the
state and tied up in this litigation
amount to the large sum of $l.I44-
1890. If the railroad companies
have the right to withhold payment
of a portion of their taxes. they may
withhold the payment OF all Indeed
they have set up in their complaints
that the law, under which they make
any payment Of taxes whatever, is
unconstitutional. The refusal to pay
their taxes is a serious embarrassment
TO the state. If these were paid, no
levy of a state tax would be necessary
II they are not paid and any money is
to be expended upon the state capitol
1t win compel the collection OF a