The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-02-20
majority.
So the primary law advocates are
honino tho law will succeed but most

hoping the law will succeed, but most
of them are inclined to think it will
have to be amended after the first
trial. They are afraid it will be too
cumbersome when applied to state Of
ficers, and that the vote will be split
ND by "favorite son. candidates from
the different sections of the state, re-
sulting in minority nominations. For
instance, when it comes to select a
successor to Senator John c; Spooner,
in 1908, the Spooner men might split
up the strength of the La Toilette
forces by bringing up local candl-
dates in the La Toilette districts, and
in this way beat the La Toilette can
didate, whoever he may be.
Speaker Lenroot, of the assembly,
is inclined to think that the direct pri-
mary act can be amended to provide
against this. He would change the
law so that each voter would vote for
first and a second choice. Then If
no candidate got a majority of the first
choice votes, the second choice
votes would be added in, and the NOM
nation given to the man with the
largest total. This would take care
of the contingency spoken of, be-
cause the men who vote for local
man, as first choice would vote for
either Spooner or the La Toilette man
as second choice.
Gist of Wisconsin Law.
The Wisconsin law is not patterned
after Minnesota's at all, but has some
resemblance to the one tried in Henne-
pin county at the 1900 election.
1t applies to all elective officers
| within the state, except state superln-
tendent, judicial officers and town,
village and school district officers.
Police justices and justices of the
peace in cities are brought under the
law. but the supreme and circuit
courts are excepted. The primary is
| held on the first Tuesday of Sep
TENDER. To get on the primary bal
lot the candidate must file petition
thirty days in advance of the pri-
mary. Candidates for a state office
must have signatures of 1 per cent of
the party vote, and they must have
this proportion of the vote in at least
six counties Candidates for congress
must have 10 per cent Of the party
votes, and must have this proportion
| on petitions from one-tenth of the
election precincts in at least one-half
of the counties. Candidates in small
| Ter territory must have per cent of
| the votes, and in at least One-sixth
of the election districts.
No fee is required for filing. The
names of candidates Of each party
are printed on a separate ballot in al
phabetical order, and not rotated
Candidates may file as non partizan
in which case there will be nom
|
/ one ballot of each party. He will mark
one ballot and fold it separately, to be
| deposited in the ballot box. The
other ballots, folded, will go into the
blank ballot box.
Registrations will be made on pri-
mary election day, and also the Mon
day preceding.
At the primary the voters of each
party select three committeeman for
each precinct, writing in the names.
The chairman of each precinct COM
mittee, and also of the assembly dis
| trict committee. The chairman of
each assembly district committee IS
a member of the senatorial district
committee, and the chairmen of the
senatorial district committees are
members of the congressional commit
tee. At meetings of the city, county
or assembly district committee each
member will have one vote for every
fifty votes, or major fraction thereof,
cast by his party in the precinct at
the last general election.
The state committee is selected at
meeting of the nominees for state
office and for the legislature, held on
he fourth Tuesday of September. 1t
will consist of two members or more
from each congressional district. The
candidates at this meeting are also
to adopt the platform of the party.
This machinery for choosing COM
mittees will have it's first trial a year
from next September. 1t has been
tried to limited extent in Hennepin
county, Minnesota, but it is a brand
new device for Wisconsin, and it
causes the politicians to wonder and
tremble.
Was an Inveterate Drunkard for 20
Years.
l. H..