Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-08-15

Candidates for party nominations
under the primary election law must
conform to all the requirements OF
that iew in order to secure the pre-
sentation of their names on the printed
| primary election ballot This is the
| opinion of Attorney General Sturde-
want with reference to the require
ment that candidates when they hle
| their petitions accompany the petition
with a declaration that they will II
nominated and elected qualify and
| accept the Office. The attorney ge1-
eral holds that this is a necessary
and legal part of the requirements Tor
the placing Of the names of candi-
dates for nomination on the primary
! ballots. The requirement, he says, is
mandatory and must be complied
with. However. the attorney general
| holds, there seems to be no rear
son why the declaration may not
| properly be filed later than the time
required for the nomination petitions
to be filed, chat is 80 days prior to the
date of the primary election.
In answer to a second specific ques-
ton the attorney general holds that
, it is necessary for the candidate him
self to file the declaration that he will
qualify and accept the office if elected,
and this cannot legally be done for
him by another person.
A third question asks as to the
validity of nomination petitions filed
without the affidavit of qualified
! voter declaring that he is personally
acquainted with all the persons who
| signed the petition. The attorney
general holds that the requirement in
| the law also is mandatory and that 1t
must be complied with or that the
| petitions are not valid
In answer to a fourth question as to
/ the duties Of the county clerk in max
| ing up the primary ballots, the at
torney general holds that the clerk
must determine the sufficiency or IN
suficiency of the petitions f'ed and
/ he must place on the ballots onls the
names of those candidates whose petit
lions are proper. sufficient and in full
! compliance with the primary election
law.
/ Failure OF the appearance of any
| candidates from any political party
does not, in the opinion of the at.
torney general, create a vacancy to
be filled by political committee.
/ Such vacancies occur only after the
primary election is neld Failure to
comply with the law with respect to
the requirement of representation on
petitions from a certain per centage
Of precincts of a district also operates
to keep a candidates name off the
primary ballot .
Veterans Preferment Valid.
Attorney General Sturdevant has
rendered an opinion sustaining the
rule of the civil service commission,
enacted in accordance with the civil
service law, section sixteen of chapter
365 of the laws of 1906, givins an ad.
vantage to old soldiers of the civil
war. The rule provides that after
the examinations have been held and
the competitors graded an advantage
of five per cent in markings shall be
| given to the candidates who are vet
Grams of the civil war. The attorney
! general holds that as the rule follows
out the law and gives no preference
| TO old soldiers in the examination but
only after the examination, it is valid
and proper
Petitions Public Record.
An opinion somewhat at variance
with the recent ruling made by Sec
rotary of State Houser with respect
to the secrecy or publicity of nomin-
ating petitions on file, was rendered
by Attorney General Sturdevant.
This opinion does not apply specific
! ally to the office of secretary of stats.
but is in reply to an inquiry as to
| these petitions on file in Offices OF
| county clerks. The attorney general
holds that such petitions are public
records and that hey are accordingly.
under section 700 of the Wisconsin
statutes of 1899, accessible to the
general public. and subject to exam.
ination by any persons who may de-
sire to examine them, and notes or
copies thereof may be made or min