The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-06-19
COPIES OF NEW LAW
Primary Law Received in Cairo
What Effect it Will Have on
Local Politics.

-
Official copies OF the new compul-
sorry primary election law enacted 10y
the recent legislature have been re.
ceiyed by eYeral persons I'm Cairo and
have been read with more or less
care. The law has some excellent fea-
lures, features which viii commend II
to the public; but il also has some
features which are apparently design
ed 10 c unteracf all the better ones
The law is a very yOluminous one and
II win require a good deal OF study to
grasp Il in ali its details Il does not
apply to tbs nomination of members
of the beard OF county commissioners
nj counties rot under township or
ganization, therefore the candidate
named by either party next fall to I'LL
The Vacancies which viii then exist
viii be named by tbs old method
Neither does it apply to the nom,na
ton Ct supreme OF circuit judges.
Section two provides that nomina
lions may be made by petition as has
been the custom in Cairo city cleo
tons for years.
Section FIVE is in full as follow
a primary election. under this act
shall be held in each primary district
at the regularly established place for
holding general elections. on the last
SATURDAY in April, A 1906. ami or
the last Saturday in April every tive
years thereafteg, except thai the prl
naries for cities, villages and incor
porated towns shall be held en- thu
first Saturday in March in the years
in which their officers are to he elect
ed The polls cf said primary election
shall be open from I'm O'Clock to
p m. O'clock
Any one desiring to become a eand.
date for any county office may hay,
his name printed the official pr
mary ballot by giving the county clerl
The necessary notice at least twent,
days in advance of the time for hold
ng said election. He must also file
petition signed by at least five pc
cent of the voters Of his party. tThii
is apparently as an evidence Of go0t
faith. just as reputable newspaper
require a known name to anonymous
communications The judges an
clerks Of election are paid by tn.
| county. but the candidate must pa,
his share OF cost for printing the bal
lots. The ballots for each parry mus
be Of the same size and general form
but of different colors for each politi
cal party and all nominations must b
made at the same time, on the sam
lay and at the sine polling places
| The penalties for voting more thai
| nee or for Illegal voting of any kin
lare the same as are provided undo
| NE general law.
/ The. one lame feature of the Law
ind the one that almost nullifies al
| the good points IL In section six. T'hi
gives the county central committee 3
| my party almost despotic power.
enables the committee, or the two b
| three men who usually control th
| committee, TO say whether or no
| nominations may he made by direc
vote Of the people; whether the cand
date obtaining the greatest number G
votes shall be the nominee, or wheti
| CIR he must ger majority OF all til
votes cast By his party at that eIet
| ton; or whether the people may b
permitted to merely vote for delegate
a county convention which ca
make the ticket to be voted for a
he fail election TRUE ii provide
that candidate getting the creates
/ number Of votes in any precinct ha
have the vote Of the delegates froF
that precinct on the first ballot; BIZ
if he fails to have majority OF til
| delegates III the convention thos
Who were instructed for him can b
released (under the proyisi rs OF al
other section inserted in the b II later
and vote fer whom they please.
With a committee composed of me
who are disposed to yield to publ
sentiment this section VIII be fairl
, construed aud nominations made b
q direct vote without the interventio
Of convention letting The man VIII
gets plurality Of Votes be the nom
! nee General elections are held 9
! this plan and there can be no goc
, reason why nominations should not |
made likewise.
II will be rather a dangerous expei
!. ment for the county central commi
/ tee now in power TO do otherwise, f,
I they do so once the people wi
I eject a new set ana the bosses" WI
! find themselves out Of office after Il
| first convention