Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-02-06

therein; that he knows that the I
signers signed the same with full
of the contents thereof;
that he knows their respective resi-
dences are truly stated therein, and
that he knows that each signer signed
the same on the date stated opposite
his name.
1t is manifest that no person could
make such an affidavit unless he saw
each signature affixed to the petition;
and even then most men would hest
tate to make so broad and sweeping
an oath as this bill calls for. This bill
further provides that such affidavit
shall .-...- ...a made by the candidate.
and also provides (Section 25) that no
candidate can pay any one for services
in securing such signatures, or for any
other like service. How is a candidate
for state office going to get these 81
900 signatures of voters scattered ov-
er fifteen counties in the state. to
gether with the necessary afhdavits, In
order to get his name on the primary
ballot, when hedged about with such
requirements AND restrictions? Oc-
casionally men OF popularity and wide
acquaintance may be able to do this,
but is it necessary or wise to practic-
ally bar out the others by such re,
quirements Take for instance, the
case of an elector-at-large: Few men
would care to go to the trouble OF
meeting all these requirements simply
to secure chance of receiving the
nomination. The difficulties Of secur-
ing the necessary petitions are also
greatly increased by the fact that it
is the evident contemplation of the
bill that each candidate shall file a
separate and distinct petition from
other candidates, the latter being
made additionally clear by the fact
that each signer Of these petitions
must agree to support the person
whose petition he signs, SO that a
blanket petition for all candidates
would not do, because of the inability
to find the required number of signers
all of whom would agree to support
all of the candidates. When 1t Is re.
membered that these petitions must
I be secured for all whose names go up
on the primary ballot, not only for
such offices as that of governor, sec
rotary Of state and the like, but all
elective offices. the immense amount
Of labor that will be required to ever
start this poE4derous primary elton
machine going can perhaps be family
appreciated. ) Take, for instance, u
Polk county: H'or q republican cand1
date to get his name on the primar!
i. ballot for nomination only, his .pet1
ton would have to be signed by pc
cent of the republican voters In Pol
county which, based on the last cleo
ton. would require about $50 sigma
r lures to the petition Of each candidate
all verified and sworn to as above ind
Gated. Think Of the immense amour
of labor necessary to do this, and at
Q er 1t is all done the candidate has sin
J, ply gotten his name before the voter
8 as seeking the nomination. He has a
vet made but one short step In tn
7 direction of success, leaving him sti
. in doubt whether he will ever receiy
= the nomination Of his party. Instea
:, Of broadening the field for the vo
: ers to choose from, Is 1t not certain I
!. restrict 1t to the narrow limits {
!. those who are able or willing to go
= all this trouble for the sole purpos
y of submitting their names for non
q nation?
~ Is It not also clear that such prov
sions would practically destroy tn
democratic and other minority partie
at simply because 1t would be Impossible
le for them to find candidates for offfe
to who would be willing to go to tn
e. trouble and expense necessary to g
le their names upon the primary ballo,
,e But after all these petitions hay
~ been secured and the primary ballo
se have been printed, then the entil
al state is precipitated into primal
IT. election, with all the attendant e
10 pense, not only to the state, but to Il
a. respective candidates, simply to d
~ termine who shall run for the respet
~ i've Offices at the November election
n. The bill provides that the perst
ha who receives the largest number
~, votes of his party shall be the non
- nee 1t does not provide, as mo
- 70 other primary laws do, that SUI
y, nominee must receive majority
~. ~ the votes cast. This might frequent
$, ~ result in the least desirable pers
" receiving the most votes and tn
NY the nomination-as, for instance, in
three cornered contest, where the
IA are two good citizens who would ra
10. about them the better class of vote
lld and an undesirable candidate til
an appealed to the vicious element. T
On two desirable candidates, by diyidi
an the vote Of the better class betwe
ISL them might cause the nomination
M the least desirable candidate, wi
ma from his superior organization, or al
ust ity to hold the vicious element sole
a in line, would win out, though in fl
ath he was obnoxious to all decent peo
18th and to a large majority Of his O
IN; party. The method proposed wo1
Of do away entirely with any opportun
cir to make second or alternative choi
EN- the exercise of which right all famil
led with politics know to be frequen
thel tation is determined by actual wei