The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-06-01

| time or delivering the petitions at the
Office of the secretary of state, and
that the meaning of the requirement
for twenty per cent of the party vote
upon the petitions Is clear. There
fore, the seventh congressional dis
trict and the twenty-ninth senatorial
district will nominate their candi-
dates In the old way las the fourth
and twelfth congressional districts
mad already decided to do. A MAORI
ty OF the senators, and perhaps also
or the representatives, will be nomi-
mated by primary ballot, as well as
large number of county officers The
local papers have not yet told us how
many OF these, and there are no
documents on file here to show the
action taken in the counties, as to
that, and we cannot know yet, even,
how many are enrolled.
| II
1t may be mentioned here that
there is no such great difference be-
tween the republican enrolment and
the party vote as might have been
supposed from the hysterical protes-
tations of some Of the hostile organs.
Measured by the standard set up in
the law-the vote for governor
thanks to the activity of those op-
ponents two years ago, the republi-
can enrolment in eleven counties that
have been completed and footed
counts up ninety-fve per cent of the
party vote, and the democrat enroll
ment in the same counties is fifty
five per cent of their vote. Those
counties are Altoona, Alger, Allegan,
Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Baraga,
Barry, Bay, Benzie and Berrien,
counties we'll distributed geographic
cally, it will be seen, and doubtless
fairly representative. If We take the
vote for auditor general as the more
just measure of strength, the regis
tration still shows up eighty-two per
cent for the republicans and seventy
six per cent for the democrats. The
actual numbers enrolled in those
counties are 1926 republicans and
11,0S7 democrats. This is a much
better showing than many have ex-
pected, and is a strong popular en-
dorsement of the law in the first
stage of its operation. 1t gives prom
Use that the measure will prove ac-
ceptable, and will remain, with such
amendments as experience shall show
to be needed, permanent feature of
our election machinery.
One thing in the application of the
law at the primary of June IL de-
mands careful consideration. Besides
the vote on the acceptance of the |
method, and the vote for candidates |
for governor and lieutenant governor,
every enrolled voter is also called |
upon to vote for delegates to the |
county convention which will choose |
delegates to the state convention to |
nominate the other state officers and |
to district convention whose candi- |
dates are not nominated by primary
method, and which will also nominate |
candidates for county officers in coun- |
ties that do not adopt the primary |
method Voting for or against the |
primary proposition that is submitted,
is simple matter; but in this dele
gate election the voter has to submit |
his own proposition. His ticket
will contain blank lines for the num-
Der of delegates assigned to his pre-
cinct, and he must write in the names,
and many will hardly be prepared to
do that without previous consulta-
ton. So, some informal caucusing
to that will probably
be found necessary, in order that the
voter may understand who are will
ing to be delegates, and who would
represent him as such. 1t
would certainly seem desirable If in ,
some way the voter could be inform
ID as to what candidates or what is
iue, on which sentiment had divided I
would be favored by a vote for this I
,r that proposed delegate.
y q
The vote upon those propositions
Is to the governor and lieutenant Z
governor, and the voting for dele
,ates, are Independent of any petit
ions; and in addition to those,
wherever the necessary petitions have
'een filed, the submission ballots will !
ontain propositions for primary
domination of congressman senators,
representatives, county officers, and
ity officers; in some places all Of
hese, and in most places one or more :
4 them. All of the ballots of one
arty will be of one color, and diff
erent from that of all other parties.
III Of the county conventions of one