The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-22

There was more trouble last Tuesday
with democrats voting the republican
primary ticket, and vice versa, than ever
before. The evil has grown to such an
extent that party lines are hardly re-
garded at all. In the second district
democrats voted for both McCleary and
Guttersen. In Mankato as rule they
vosedEE for, McCleary. The city cast only
8S6Hvetes for P. E. Hanson two years ago,
a fair test of the republican strength, but
cast l,34O republican votes in the recent
primary. The same thing was done for
McCleary in Lake Crystal, while in west
ern counties many. democrats voted for
Guttersen. ~ E'.s-srs,. :ys -. -
Democrats are not the only people who
understand working the primary. In
Scott county there was no republican
ticket. The only republican on the ballot
was Congressman Davis There were
hot fights among the democrats, and they
got a total Of 1,S45 votes In the primaries.
There were only twenty-eight republican
votes cast, tho the republican county
committee made a special effort to hold
them. On secretary Of state at the last
election the county cast 935 republican.
votes. and 1,2S5 democratic votes. APP
parently about 600 republicans voted. the
democratic primary ticket, or about two
thirds of all the republicans in the
= e. ...sgs i.
A scheme was proposed by promi-
nent republican yesterday, to amend the
law so as to discourage cross voting The
idea Is to provide that in order to re-
ce1ve q nomination in the primaries, a
candidate must receive a certain per-
centage Of the total votes cast by his
party in the last election. Something like
rs or 30 per cent is suggested. This
would mean that If the democratic vote
went to the republican ballot too heavily,
the democrats themselves would be left
without ticket. This would not neces-.
sarily stop the practice, as they could
still put men on by petition, and in case
of several candidates on the ballot of the
majority party, none Of them might get
the required percentage, and so the ruling
party would be beaten out of a candidate.
1t is a question, too, whether such pro-
vision would stand the test of the courts.
The state canvassing board will meet
next Tuesday to count the votes for
members of congress, district judges and
members Of the legislature where voted
for In more than one county. The board
consists Of the secretary OF state, two
judges Of the supreme court and two dis
interested judges of the district court,
designated by the secretary.
The McCleary Hammond campaign Is
going to be hardly second in interest to
the state campaign. Mr.. McCleary holds
the same intention he expressed before
the primaries, and will challenge Mr..
Hammond to a series of Joint debates.
Mr.. Hammond will no doubt accept. and
it will be battle royal. The democrats
have strong hopes Of electing Hammond,
hut It would be a remarkable turning
over in a district carried two years ago
by s,462. Without doubt good many Of
the votes cast for Guttersen will go to
Hammond, but those who regard them
selves as republicans are not disposed to
vote for democrat for congress. The
closeness Of the result this time leads
them TO think that they can. beat Nc
Cleary in the primaries two years from
now, and they. don't like to vote for a
democrat. # Hammond were running as
an independent it would be different.
Tire result in the forty fifth legislative.
district does not suit r. G.. Dunn Of
Princeton, who made hard fight on