Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1907-10-10
IN
SPECIAL SESSION
A STRONGER PRIMARY LAW Is
THE GOVERNORS FIXED
PURPOSE.
LOBBYING GETS A TOUCH.
Attacks the Forty Per Cent Clause and
Wants Delegates to National Con-
vention Elected at Primaries.
The Message.

The Message.
The state legislature was called to
order at noon Monday in special ses-
sion to consider the matters to be pre-
sented for it's consideration by Gov.
Warner In his message. Nearly a full
roll call was present The message of
Gov. Warner, read to the legislature, is
as follows:
To the forty-fourth egislature-Act-
ing by virtue of authority vested in
the governor by sec. Z, of Art. V, of
the constitution of the state of Michi-
gan, l have convened the legislature
in extra session, sincerely believing
that the failure of the legislature at
Its recent regular session to enact
better primary election law and to
make necessary provision for the
maintenance of Central Michigan Nor
NAL college fully warrants such ac-
ton.
There cannot, / fully believe, be the
slightest doubt in the mind of any
candid person who has given the mat
ter even casual consideration that a
vast majority of the people of Michi-
gan desire that there be embodied in
our statutes provisions which shall
apply alike TO all Offices which they
affect and which shall place the nom
tnation of candidates for these Offices
absolutely and finally in the hands of
the people, without recourse at any
time or under any conditions to dele
gate convention. The truth of this as
sertion is so apparent that it should
be unnecessary TO more than state it.
Ii cannot be successfully controvert-
ed.
The demand Of the people has been
recognized in all primary election leg.
islation thus far enacted in this state,
save only as such legislation applies
to the nomination Of candidates for
governor and Acknowledgement. In
all cases where it applies to the nom
nation of candidates for congress, the
legislature, county and city Offices, 1t
provides that the candidate receiving
the highest number of votes cast at
the primary shall be the party NOM
mated. In no case is there any refer
ence whatever to a percentage, how
ever small, of the total vote cast.
These laws were petitioned for by the
people because of their desire to make
their oNp nominations and not dele
gate II 'wer 70 conventions which
might ight[not carry out their
rM. ly there no percentage
~ lays covering the
IbptL Ger had the terlfer-
ity &c Mclusion of such a
provis. 4,,arly understood what
the peotpe DEMANDED.
[ 1t is we'll known to all of you that
the 40 per cent provision of the pres
ent law was included in that statute
as matter of necessary compromise.
! The house passed a general primary
bill which contained no percentage
| feature. In this form the bill could not
! pass the senate, and In order that the
| best possible start toward the accom-
( plishment of the reform demanded by
| the people might be made it was neces.
sary to include the percentage provis-
| ion. II this had not been done no pri-
mary legislation would have been en-
| acted at that session of the legisla-
ture.
In 1906 a total of S64 candidates for
| political office, including candidates
| for state, congressional, legislative and
} county Offices, were nominated by di'
I rect vote. This number likewise in
cluded 70 subsequently successful
candidates for seats IN this honorable
body. Yet in S62 of these cases no
one ever for a moment thought OF re-
| curing that the successful candidates
poll any given percentage of total
vote. 1t would be as reasonable to sug-
| gest that the constitution be amended
| so as TO require that unless some
party candidate for governor or lieu
| tenant governor received 40 per cent
of the total vote cast at the general
election the choice of those officials
should be made by the legislature as
| to make 1t necessary for a delegate
convention to choose the party candi-
date II no person polls 40 per cent
| of the total vote cast at the primary.
There is no argument that can be ad-
vanced in support of the one PROPOSE
ton that will not apply with equal
\ force to the other. On the other hand
| the absolute weakness Of the so-called
argument in its application to either
| proposition is so apparent as to admit
of no dispute.
The utter folly of maintaining that
the protection of the people demands
that, in order TO become the nominee
| of his party for governor or lieutenant
| governor, person must poll any spe.
Gifted percentage of the total vote cast
whereas the constitution of the state
provides that the person having at
the general election "the highest mum.
Der OF votes for governor or lieutenant
governor shall be elected" must i'm.
| press itself upon the mind of every In.
telligent person. 1t hardly seems neces.
sary to throw any greater safeguards
around the nomination of a candidate
for an office than the constitution OF
the state throws about the election
after the nomination is made. For
nearly 60 years the person receiving
the highest number Of votes has been