Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-12-07
DECLARES GOVERNOR IN MES
SAGE TO THE LEGISLATURE.
HE WILL GO TO SENATE
Primary Election Law Should Be so
Altered to Prevent Plurality Nom.
nations, Amendments Proposed
to Rate Legislation and Insurance
Investigation Recommended.

Madison, Dec. 5.-GoVernOr Robert
NJ. La Follette's message to the legls
lature deals with all subjects refer.
red to In the call for the special legis-
laiiye session, and the governor VIII
go to the senate A particularly long
portion Is devoted to primary elections,
the governor desiring such an amend
ment as will in every case put a ma,
jority, 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 will 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 nomlna,
items, II should be so changed as to
provide for the election Of delegates
To conventions and that delegates 80
elected should make nomination In
every case where n candidate falls To
get majority vote, under the primary
election. This would mean In the end
the nomination Of practically all can
lidatcs by delegates rather than by
direct vote Of the people. II would
easily be IN the power Of any pollt-
cal organization 10 put up several can.
ddatos for each office and so divide
the vote rs to deprive any candidate
of majority. Neither would any
protection be afforded, by limiting the
candidates to be voted for in the con.
venllOn to those who were highest OH
the ticket at the primary election,
There would still be the same oppor-
tunity to manipulate delegates, ana
thwurt the will Of the people by cor
ruptCu. 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 Ii open for deals and
dlckerB and fraud. Under this method
the people viii again lose their con.
troll. They can never regain IT, Con,
tro lost In making the nominations is
the loss Of control in government,
"lr majority nominations can be sc.
cured by direct vote Of the people In
primary, It must be conceded that It
would be preferable to transferring
this important business to delegates,
That this can be easily attained IL
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 oloctor
there has enjoyed the right to use
what Il 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 ballot upon which
the eector marks his nrst and second
choice or order Of preference. Where
but two candidates aro III the field
there Is no occasion for the EcrcisC of
the second choice in order to insure n
majority nomination, hut whore there
are three candidate or more than
three candidates. the ballet provides
opportunity for the delegate 10 ludl
cato his second choice. If. after the
ballots are counted, no candidate has
an absolute majority of first choice
votes. then The ballots cas for the
lowest candidate on the list are rs.
sorted with reference to second
choices for the remaining candidates
1 ,,,,i,F,s ln,jI, ar
first and second choice ballots sim
ilar assortment of the ballots of the
lowest remaining candidates Is made
ON the basis of second choices and
dates and SO on untll some candidate
has 4 majority of FIRST and second
choice. An examination Of this sub,
icct will make II PLAN that under this
method It will rarely he necessary to
canvass the entire second choice vote,
to secure a majority nomination. This
plan efrcctually prevents the lowest or
weakest candidate from getting n nom
matiCn on second choice 1t accords
to the first choice vote It's due impor,
aud secures TO the candidate strongest
with most OF the voters the majority
nomination. This Is n simple method
Of determining by majority vote the
nomination OF a candidate FOR each of
flee on the primary election ballot"
Add message take
Railway Taxation.
rhe governor calls attention to the
litigation by which railways are op.
posing payment of the taxes adjudgod
as just by the state commission, and
adds;
The railroad taxes now due the
state and tied up In this litigation
amount to the large sum of sl14I,.
39930 If the railroad companies
have the right to withhold payment
of 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