Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1905-02-24

Office as sec0nd-cesAs matter.
Editorial Correspondence.
Bismarck. Feb. ~. 1905.
The old-tlme caucus.and. d.cnnventlon
system has given away to the direct
primary plan. The substitute for
senate bill No. 50 last week passed the
house and senate, and, having been
signed by the governor, is now the
law under which nominations will
hereafter be made. 1t is, in my judg-
ment, q tnOre practical measure than
the original bill. Following are its
principal provisions:
Candidates for county nomination
shall present to the county auditor, a
petition signed by ten per cent of the
total vote cast for the candidate OF his
party at the preceding election for the
office to which he aspires. NJ one
shall sign more than one petition for
the same office. A certain graded fee
is required for getting a position upon
the party ticket.
Delegates to the state and judicial
conventions shall also have signatures
equal to ten per cent of the last party
vote for governor: They shall pay no
fee, and signefs of u delegate petition
may sign for one ur the entire list.
The same delegates shall attend the
state and judicial conventions.
At such state and judicial conven-
tions the delegates shall vote individ-
uaIly mot by delegations) by secret
ballot, and majority vote Of the en-
tire number Of delegates at such con-
ventiUn shall nominate the state tick
ct.
The delegates to the state conven-
tion shall meet and by majority vote
choose the county central, committee
The vote for county aud legislative
Candidates for nomination and for
delegates to the state convention shall
be by secret ballot, as now done ut
general elections. There shall be u
separate, ballot for each party that ut
the last preceding election cast five
per cent of the vote for governor. Any
one, before voting, shall procure from
tile election office RS the ballet Of the
party with which he atfiliates, aud. on
challenge being made, the voter
must make out and file with the elec.
tion officers an affidavit that the bal
lot he is about to obtain is the ballot
of tile party with which he attiliates.
No candidate for a nomination can
he candidate for delegaiesl,ip.
The law is quite lengthy; but the
foregoing are Its principal provisions,
most Of tile paragraphs relating to
minor matters OF detail.
believe the law will remedy many
of the evils Ut the present lotse-jnint-
ed system. Under the direct primary
the corrupt use ut ln0ney-with which
the people Of Elnmons county have
had too much experience in tile last
four years-cannot accomplish, as
much as under the present system.
There will be NO county and legisla-
tive delegates to corrupt and it will
take large sum Of money to have
much influence with the entire elec.
torate Of the party In a county or dis
trIct. 1t will enable the voters Of u
party to cast their ballots for such
candidates for nomination as they
want, regardless Of whether such can.
didates belong tD one faction or an.
other. But, best Of all, it gives an ab-
solutely secret ballot to the party vot.
elS.
The senate las passed the bill re.
moving the state fair from Mandan to
Grand Forks. It will have close
shave, l believe, II it passes the house,
us friends Of Fargo will vote will,
those Of Mandan to keep 1t at the lat.
ter place.
The session will soon close, only a
few days remaining.
Respectfully, D. r. Streeter.