The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-10
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK


refusing to submit to the vote Of the
people the primary election law, passed
q caucus law.
It was wholly uncalled for, there had
been no demand for 1t In the state and
no necessity for such a law whatever. z
There had never been any complaint by
any party that the caucuses in this I
sparsely -settled state were unfair or In
any way Objectionable. It was simply
passed as an excuse for the defeat OF .
the primary proposition. AS the law Is .
coming to be examined 1t is found to I
be crude. impracticable law and ono
that cannot be administered.
To administer the law large expense
must be incurred, yet no provision is
made to pay this expense
Section Is OF the act makes it the duty
of the county auditor to furnish two
ballot boxes to the chairman of each
party Of each precinct, one to be marked
.ballot box" and the other to be marked
waste ballot box" all ballot boxes to
be provided with lock and key. The
auditor must also furnish booth to
each precinct chairman Of each party
from the booths used at elections. I'm
less. however. there are more than fifty
voters In a precinct only one booth is
used at an election, so that the auditor
must incur this expense Sof q booth for
each party in each precinct.
The auditor also furnishes each pre-
cinct ballots
Section 10 provides that leach party
shall have their own desk and their own
booth and the booth shall be marked In
large clear type with the name of the
party to which 1t belongs. Section "a
provides that the precinct chairman OF
each party shall supply the primary
with necessary tables, chairs and other
necessary conveniences" and have them
In place at time for the primaries.
Section IS makes 1t the duty Of the
county auditor to mail by registered LETT
| tiers ballots to the preeint chairmen, II
ballots have not been delivered to him
personally.
Section 85 makes It the dut yof the
precinct secretary to keep a record OF
the names and residences Of each elector,
yet no record or pollbooks are provided.
It will be observed that to provide all
these articles, furnishings and equip
| ments and doing the labor as required
by this law In holding the caucasus there
Will be large expense. No provision.
however, is made for these. expenses. No
appropriation is provided In the law.
It Is impra ctical and cannot be admin
istered. Before the holding Of a. caucus
any person can procure a sample ballot
| Of the county auditor and on tickets
different sets Of delegates to be voted
on at the caucus, and as many different
persons as desire to can get up tickets,
all Of which tickets so prepared ara
handed to the chairman Of the COMMITTEES
at the caucus. The chairman of the
caucus must hand eery voter the blank
ballot furnished by the auditor and one
each Of all prepared tickets.
The voter then takes one each OF all
/ these tickets and endeavors to make out
a ticket for delegates from all thesN It
i must lead to endless confusion. The
/ voter may have a dozen or twenty diff
/ ferent tickets, perhaps fifty or one hum
dred names to select from. and write on
his ballot the names of a sufficient NUNS
l Der Of delegates.
i There are no judges to receive these
ballots when voted, but the chairman is
the one and sole Judge of the caucus,
who receives the tickets from the voters,
i puts them In the box and has charge OF
them. "
The voters will never be satisfied as
to the fairness of the vote when one
/ man is the sole judge.
i Section rs provides after the primaries
i are closed the precinct chairman shall
destroy the ballots In the waste baEN
box" and .'they'' shall then proceed to
4 count the ballots in the ballot box.
AS to whom the pronoun they" refers
to In this connection there Is no explana-
ton and no clue even as to who is
meant.
Section II provides that the chairman
of the state central committee shall be
selected by the state central COMMITTEES
and the candidates nominated by the
state convention.
Strange to say, however, cteion 81 pro-
vides that candidates nominated Tor
county offices at large and members Of
the legislature shall select chairman
Of the county central committee
This is probably the first time in his
tory where the members of committee
have no choice In the selection Of their
chairman. The committee is utterly ig-
nored.
In small precinct say Of a dozen
votes, the endeavor to manipulate the
two ballot boxes for each party Illus
trates what farce this law is.
81 And should there be only on voter Of
any one OF the from three to SIX parties
. that may be in the field he will go to
+ the county auditor and get his two ballot
: boxes and booth, prepare his tables.
chairs, etc. (if he arrogates to himself
, the craftsmanship Of his party, but he
, has no one from whom to select delegates
and no one from his party to elect as
t secretary Of the caucus, as his vote can
not be recorded, for the law provides that
the secretary of the caucus only can
record the vote. A lonesome chairman.
The hypocritical pretention Of recog-
MIXING the primary system in sections 4b
: and 46 is simply absurd. These sections
) | provide that by majority vote OF the
: county convention candidates may there
after be nominated by primary election.
{ .'under such rules and regulations as the
) county central committee may prescribe
: and provided that II such person does
= not receive the majority Of the votes OF
: the electors of his party in the county
(mark it is not majority Of those voting)
) | the delegates of the convention shall have
t | a right to make such nominations as they
t deem advisable. This would not be avail
! able one time in twenty. The machine
! would simply get out a half-dozen can
3 didates and no one would be chosen at
> | the primary. We venture there Is no prt-
. mary law Of any state makes majority
s necessary for choice. In some states
8 II is provided that II no one has ma
D jority then from certain number OF
those receiving the highest vote choice
shall be made. It is difficult to under
Z stand when in all elections q plurality
{ elects to office why q plurality should
t not nominate.
E cities suffer the most severe blow
8 Section Al provides: Primaries for thu
, nomination Of candidates for all city Of
r | fees elected at the city election shall
t be conducted as herein provided for the
n holding Of primaries for the election. q
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