The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-10-25
Supreme Court Of State Gives
Primary Election Law Another
Knock Our Blow
NAMES MUST co ON BALLOT
Places on the X enosha Ticket Must BE-
Filled if Candidates Insist on Run
ming for Offices for Which They
Were Nominated

The supreme court of the state
dealt another knock out blow to the
primary election law on Thursday
afternoon when decision was
handed down directing the county
clerk Of Ashland county to place the
name of A. T. Pray on the Demo-
cratic ticket as candidate for dis
trict attorney in that county. The
clerk had announced that in keeping
with ruling of the attorney general
the name of Pray would not be placed
on the ticket, for while he received a
ma iority of the votes cast at the prin1-
airy election he had filed no petitions
as candidate and that under the IN
terpretation Of the law the ballot
must be left blank. The decision OF
the court is of interest to every county
in the state where blank spaces were
| left on the primary ballot. In Ke-
nosha county the conditions are ex-
actly the same as they were III Ash
/! land county. The Democrats pro-
posed no person for candidate for dis
trict attorney of the county and under
| the former reading of the law the
space on the ballot is to be left blank.
However, an examination of the re-
turns of the primary show that a
number of people we're voted for on
| the Democratic ticket and the returns
will have to be opened again and an
examination made to see just who is
| rightfu1ly the candidate of the Demo
Gratis for the Office of district attorney.
Baker, the Republican candidate for
the Office has majority of the votes
cast by the Democrats for the office
at the primary and if this is the fact
it will be necessary for Mr.. Baker to
withdraw as the Democratic candidate
and the place can be filled by the
Democratic county committee.
Should this be the fact it is not
thought that the Democratic COM
mittee will take any action as there is
not lawyer in the Democratic party
who is willing to make the run for
the office.
William A. McKesson of the town
Of Randall will certainly be the Dem
ocratic candidate for the office of
surveyor if the decision of the SUI
preme Court is followed in this
county, as he received quite mum
Der Of votes at the primary but had
been ruled out on account of the fact
that no petitions were filed for his
nomination. Mr.. McKesson has
stated repeatedly that he did not care
to make the run, and it is possible
that the action Of the county commit
| tee would be necessary in selecting
another candidate in this case. The
same conditions prevail in connec-
ton with the vacancies on the Social
Democratic ballot
The decision of the Supreme court
will affect all future primary elections
and it is thought that in the future
the petitions will not be demanded.
The court holds that it is the purpose
of the primary election law to allow
the people of the cities and counties
to express their will as to candidates
and that if the names of the candidates
are written in on the primary election
ballot the clerk has no right to refuse
| to accept this nomination as the will
of the people. 1t is probab BILE that the
decision Of the court will make it
necessary for the next session of the
Legislature to take some steps 60
amend the law SO that no further
i tr0uhfa will arise Tn the mo, Ms ~ a
the county clerks in the various
counties will get ready to fight any
number of injunctions to force them
| not to print ballots without placing
names of all nominated by the people
whether petitions we're filed or not.