Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-04-20
SKETCHES PROVISIONS OF MOST.
TALKED OF STATUTE ENACTED
BY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
IS NOW IN FORCE
Moon Amendment Making Law-AppIi
cable to Municipal Elections Adopt
ed-candidates Must Have s5 Per
Gent Of Vote for Nomination

zone of the most discussed meas.
ures passed by the late general as
sembly," said Senator e. G. Moon this
morning, is the state wide primary.
law. 1t is also probably one about
which many misrepresentation exist.
This law sounds the death knell
of the joyful social gatherings Of en-
ergetic workers previous TO the city
and county conventions to select dele
gates to these bodies There is lot
of red tape about the law II is true
but believe In the main it is a good
thing as 1t Is aud is as near the ideal
strivcn for as it could DO made under
all conditions.
The lew while 1t is in force now
will not be used for more than year
/ yet because there are no conventions
during that time. The primary is not
used at any special ele,tions.
"A little of the history Of the bill.
may perhaps be Of interest at this
time. Two bills were introduced. the
/ Crossley and the Peterson bills. These
J. were referred to the elections commit
tee and later went to 4 subcommittee
whica drafted the bill substantially a;
it was llater made Law.
The democrats caucused OH 1t an,
agreed upon various amendments
} When tho bills we're first presente5
they both contained provisions fol
municipal elections. but the bill pre-
pared from them by the subcommittee
did not The amendment which it fell
z to my lot to offer was one making al
the provision OF the dill applicable te
city elections. This was known as the
Moon amendment. 1t was The only ons
of the amendments offered by the dem
ocrats that was adopted. but it was
. andg all of the provisions oil the ac
! apply to municipal elections.
For Statewide Primaries.
: The law provides for state wide plu
rality primaries for the nomination o
/ all save judicial officers. The reason
for excluding the judicial officers wa
+ because il, some of the districts of thi,
} state the non-partisan judiciary exists
Some Of us desired to see the judges
of the supreme court nominated b,
,, primary, but by common consent al
: of the judicial officers were excluded.
! Conventions must make the nomin
: atoms where none Of the candidate
: for any Office have received thfrty-fly
per cent of the total vote cast TIL
same time and all on 1ha first luesda
p after the first Monday in June, wnicl
e will make the dates vary from Jun
2 to June 8.
The polls open in registration cite
!. from o'clock in the morning to :
u o'clock In the evening, in the countr
from Q o'clock in the afternoon To
O'Clock in the evening. At the time {
9 voting the vbter calls for the ballc
=. Of the party with which ne affiliate'
:. thus making party declaration. Tha
is all tho test required at the frs
vote. Then, however, his name Is n
corded in the list of that party ali
: should ne wish. to vote with anothe
. party he must HE notice of hi
Is change of heart ten days before tn
day OF the primary. In case he fai
10 to do this and wishes 70 vote with al
other party he must swear in mis- ba
q lot.
n Conventions Still Have Function.
Candidates file nomination paper
with petitions signed by voters. TIL
~ ballots are of uniform size and colo
> All candidates for office are voted @
is and preference given for United State
r senator. Committeeman are selecte
sr by ballot, also delegates to count
l. conventions. The law does not
n away with the conventions which pc
form all of their usual functions 9
70 cept the nominations of officers. TIL