The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-02-24
The Democratic Direct Primary
Election Law.

AS announced some weeks ago, thc
Chronicle desires to lay before It's
readers the Democratic Primary
Election Law" as proposed by the
Australian Ballot League of the city
of New Orleans. We understand the
proposition is to urge the adoption
OF this law Mt the meeting OF the Leg
islature in May next. The law is too
long for us to print it in full, but we
will endeavor to give enough excerpts
from it to give our readers pretty
fair idea OF its scope and intention.
The title and caption of the law,
az drafted and fled with the Joint
Legislative Primary Election Law
Committee" reads as follows: San
Act to amend and re-enact Act No.
1873 OF 1900, entitled An Act, Topre-
serve the purity OF primary elections,
by regulating the manner of calling,
holding and conducting same; by pro-
viding for the appointment OF officers
to conduct such primary elections
and defining their duties; byprescrib-
ing the manner in which electors shall
be qualified to vote therein, how
their vote shall be taken and the
count and returns thereof made, and
by providing penalties for the viola
ton OF the law; and repeating all laws
in conflict with the same"
The first items over which there is
likely to be diversity of opinion oc-
ours in Sec. of the law. 1t provides
that the Governor OF the State, five
months next preceding the date of
the general election, shall issue n call
Tor a primary election, "of and for. all
political parties in the State OF Lou
isiana that shall have cast for their
candidate for Governor respectively
thirty per centum of the entire vote
cast for Governor of the State OF
Louisiana at the general election
last preceding any general election
held in this State for the election of
the Governor and other State off,
GERS"
Our readers will note that 80 per
cent "cf the entire vote cast for Gov
ernor" is to be made the prerequl-
site for the recognition OF any polit-
teal party to have n part in the pri-
mary election. Now, let us consider
the possibility that with two or three
fractions of political party in the
field, it is quite likely that one OF the
fractions, if not two of them, will fail
to cast 30 per cent of the vote, and
thus be ruled out of a succeeding pri-
mary election. AS matter OF fact,
II three factions were in the field, two
OF them might each poll 20 per cent
OF the vote, and the winning faction
succeed by virtue of polling the re-
manning 40 per cent Of the total vote
cast. Yet, if in succeeding election
the people who cast the two fraction
al 30 per cents, were to desire topool
their issues in another campaign, al
though their combined strength rep
resented 50 per cent Of the vote, they
would be ruled out. 1t is manifestly
unjust and improper that party
casting only AZ per cent of the vote
should be allowed to predominant SO
per cent OF the voting population.
For this reason we oppose this feat
ure of the proposed Paw. We sug-
gest that the prerequisite for recog-
milton be put ut 25 per cent instead
of 30 per cent. II this is done. then
the dominating party will at least be
obliged to cast so per cent OF the vote
to control in political matters. This
is vital point, and we ask our leg
islators not to go on record asfavor-
ing such one-sided and unfair ar
rangement, which may become two
edged sword cutting both ways, and
prove a boomerang to the party pro-
posing it.
Another paragraph in section |
OF the law, to which some objection
may be urged, is the proposition
that voters who take part in such
primary election shall be confined TO
applicants who certify that they
svoted for the candidate or candi-
dates ofthe political party for which
he seeks to vote at the last State or
Congressional election in which he
participated, land that he pledge him
self to vote in the general election for
the nominees named in the primary
as thenominess of that political party
for which he may vote" 1t is very
wall n, plodrra tina votar IN s,,nport