The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-01
REFORM IN PRIMARIES.
Mr.. John S. Hopkins of Holton OTers
Valuable Suggestions.

I ,
wanted is the best possible system.
Bring on your plans" on want what
the people want and are seeking LOr,
the best direct nomination system Oh
/ candidates, for Office.
I viii give you mine. 1t was parity
formulated in 1875 and has been the
unwritten law of the Republican party
of this county for county nominations
ever since, and is now embodied in sec
tons 2. 10. II, IS. and section %, of a
/ bill I formulated in November. 1902.
and was offered as a senate bill of this
state in 1898, and was known as senate
bill No 493.
It would be a waste of space OF your
/ va liable paper time and money. to
print the entire thirty-four 1S4) sec
tons of the bill, therefore, leaving out
details, allow me in my way to show
voters my political machine and how
/ it works.
First-The first line of the 18th sec
! ton of the bill reads as follows
Sec. Ion receiving this ballot
/ the voter shall. etc" Well. what?
Look at the ballot. It is blanket
ballot The first column on the left is
the Republican ticket. The next
1 column is the Dem ocratic ticket The
next column is the Socialist ticket
The next column. if there are enough
voters to constitute a party, is the Pop
ulist ticket, and so on. You notice that
/ the state. congressional. judicial, coun-
4 " and township candidates of all par
/ ties, are found, in order. on the ticket
of the respective parties.
You must vote only one ticket. You
must vote it straight. You can't go
I over there and vote for that Demo-
/ cratic friend of yours on the Demo-
cratic ticket. Oh, no. You have no
/ right at a primary to assist IN naming
/ the candidates of the Dem ocratic
party. or assist in shaping Democratic
policies.
Remember. Mr. Republican voter.
/ II you vote for any candidate other
than those printed on your own Re
publican ticket your ticket. and the
entire ballot Will be thrown out and
not counted for any candidate
So also Mr.. Democrat, you must
vote your ticket straight You can't
skip around and help your Republican
friend over there on the Republican
ticket, if you do, your ticket will not
/ be counted. and the entire ballot will
/ be thrown out So with the voters and
the tickets of the other parties You
must vote it straight. You mustn't fool
| around marking or tampering with any
! ticket
Now you see all parties. on the same
Gay, at the same polls drop their
Dlanket ballots in the same ballot box,
1 thereby, all parties nominating their
own candidates, by the same machin-
cry.
You ask how did all these candi-
oates get their names printed on this
ballot, all the Republicans on the Re-
4 publican ticket. and all the Democrats
on the Democratic ticket, and all the
other fellows on the other tickets?
! Well. Will tell you Section of the
| bill provides. THAT each candidate be-
/ fore his name shall be put on a ticket
1 must file request signed by five (5)
per cent OF the voters of his party, If
/ a candidate for a state or cOneressjon-
al office, and ten (10) per cent of the
voters of his party if a candidate for
county Office. Every man, If he has
! friends enough to sign his nominating
papers, has a right to run for Office
and have his name printed on his party
| ticket of the ballot, has hesnot?
How do you know you are a voter
at this primary election p Well, I will
tell you. If you did not vote at the
last general election at the same polls
you now offer your vote you can not
vote now, at this direct nomination
primary. That is the best kind of a
registration law That is the registra-
ton part of the bill. That is section
s of bill above referred to. Don't
object until you have looked at all
sides of that question.
You see further that there are
twelve candidates who have rightfully
secured their names on the ballot for
congressman, four on the Republican
ticket, four on the Democratic ticket
three on the Socialist ticket and one
on the Populist ticket. Now. Mr.. Re-
publican. which of the four for conz
gresham on your ticket do you like
the best? Mr.. 90" Then put the
figure ID in the little square oppo-
site his name. Hold en-. you have
three chances more to get a man of
your choice. Which of the three
names left do you prefer? Mr.. * -
Then put the figure (2) IN the little
square opposite his name. Now YOU
have two candidates. which of those
two do you prefer? Mr.. r." Put the
figure CD in the little square opposite
his name? There is one more candi-
date to vote for. MT "a" Didn't you
-giVe him to understand in some way,
by either a nod or a wink that you
would vote for him Then keep your
word good and put the figure ca in
the little square opposite his name.
You must vote for all four candidates,
or your ticket will not be counted.
That is fair. If you have not sense
enough to vote in that manner, learn
how.
Do the same to all the candidates for
all other offices on your Republican
ticket, where there are more than two
! candidates for an Office.
Y on do the same way. Mr.. Demo
crat, and Mr.. Populist and Mr.. So
cialist.
You see. you have voted once for
the candidate of your first choice and
twice in fact for your candidate of
II your second choice by voting against
the other two candidates and you
have voted three times in fact. against
the fourth candidate the fellow you
don't like at all, by helping the first
three you voted for, as your first, sec
ond and third choice
There is some sense in that kind OF
a ticket and ballot. and no sense only
that of a dumb-driyen OK, in going tc
the polls and voting for or against a
fellow put up by political wire workers
corporation agents and party bosses
In my next letter 1 will show how
your vote must be counted, so that II
will count one and that only ma
J jority of first, with second, with third
and with the fourth choice votes. name
the candidate for the Office of con-
gresham, (and the candidate for any
other office where there are more thar
two candidates) and that no candidate
can or should have the nomination for
congressman or any other ONCE nnless
he receives the majority of the first