Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-03-06
DIRECT
PRIMARY
SUSTAINED
Applies to June City Election
at Portland
First Victory for the Great Oregon Poll
tica1 Reform Measure

The direct primary law is applicable
TO the city election to be held in June.
This decision was announced by Judge
George, Judges Clelaud Frazer and
George coneurring at the close of the
argument by City Attorney McNary,
District Attorney Manning, r. G. Green
and Charles A. Lockwood The city at
torney recently brought suit in order
90 obtain an opinion from the court, so
that City Auditor Devln might know
whether It was legal TO call direct
primary election or not.
In order 90 bring the matter TO an
issue the court was asked TO enjoin
County Clerk Fields from opening the
registration books for the registration
of the political affiliation Of electors,
and for the registration Of persons not
already registered
In rendering his decision Judge
George said
"This law is applicable to the city
election. The court is unanimously Of
tho opinion that II should be upheld.
This Is an important matter to the pub
lie, and tho officials are waiting to
Know what the decision Of the court
will be. We think IL well 20 have IL
definitely understood, so we have de.
eided TO announce the decision from
the bench without delay"
Judge George said there might be
somo constitutional defects in the law, !
but these had not been raised, aud
therefore the court would not presume
60 pass upon them.
The direct primary law cannot be ap. !
piled 10 nomination of candidates for A.,
the June city election without new
registration.
The decision OF the circuit court au
thorizes the county clerk to make the
now registration OF city electors bc
tween March 10 aud April l4, inclu
sivo.
In the city $1,000 electors registered
last spring These can vote in the
juno city election without rogisten
ing again, but not in the primary nom
mating election on May o unless they
complete the registration prescribed
by the primary law
The law prcscribes registration Of
party affiliations as 10 n requirement
For participation in primary uomna.
tion elections,
Candidates FOR party nominations,
instead of being nominated by conven
tion, will be presented by petition, aud
those receiving the most votes Ia their
respective parties will be the nominees
of their parties. The nominees will be
voted FOR ia June in the regular man.
nor.
Petitions of Republican candidates
for mayor, auditor, treasurer city at.
torney, municipal judge and FIVE coun
cilmen must be- signed by az least 100
Republican electors dwelling in az least
~ precincts; petitions Of Democratic
candidates by az least ~ prccincisi
petitions OF Democratic candidates by
~ leas, 81 Democratic electors residing
iu the same numhor ot precincts this
ia conformity with the law which re-
Quircs petitioners to number az least
per eeut Of the votes last east In the
election district for representative in
congress by the two parties
Candidates for 10 ward councilmeu
will bo presented by petition In the
same mauuer except that tho petit.
tionors viii number per cent of the
votes east for representative In cong
ress IN the respective wardS
Nominations ot "eltisen " OF uonpar
tisau candidates will not be controlled
by the primary law, aud can be accom-.
plished as heretofore,
About poo electors who registered
their party Affiliations last fan need not
register again. l.
only Republican and Democratic ,
nomiuatlons are amenablc 10 the pgi
mary law,
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n.sk.t mn 49,. 4,