Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-03-27
PRIMARY BILL WINS

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AMENDMENTS ARE ADDED ON
4 FLOOR OF LEGISLATURE.
Both. Houses Vote Overwhelmingly In
Favor of Bill for Nominations by So
Per Cent Of Votes cast-state Mar
shai Bill Defeated.
Des Moines March 26.-On the
first Tuesday following the first Mon
day in June, 1868, the people of the
state of Iowa will have an opportunity
to test the workings of statewide
primary election law. The bill adopt,
ed for that purpose by the general as
sembly is the subcommittee measure,
which has been outlined in these let.
tiers, with few material amend.
ments, added to 1t on the floor of the
Legislature. AS it goes into effect the
law will apply to all state and county
Offices. to an expression of preference
for United States senators, to presi.
Dental and vice presidential electors,
to officers of cities Of the first class
and to delegates to city and county
conventions.
1T will be plurality nomination
law, but the successful candidate for
any office must secure at least So per
cent of the total vote cast by his
party for that Office. Failing to Sc.
cure such a percentage. the nomina-
ton will go to the convention, which
is left free to act.
Delegates to the district and state
conventions are to be chosen by the
county convention delegates, but they
need not be from the membership Of
the county convention, as was original
~ provided, an amendment being
adopted which will allow the choosing
Of any list of men the convention
may desire.
Party affiliation for the first primary
is to be declared on the day of the
primary by the voter calling for the
party ticket which he desires to vote.
Affiliation for future primaries may
be changed by written declaration
filed with the county auditor at least
ten days before the holding of the
primary, but may be changed on the
/ day of the primary, with the voter
subject to challenge, and then he
must make oath that the change is in
good faith.
County conventions are given au-
thority to fill all nominations on the
county ballot not made at the primary.
The law was adopted by practically
the unanimous vote of both houses Of
the assembly, the two factions of the
Republican party getting together on
the IS per cent compromise in lieu of
the straight plurality system of NOM
ination, which the original bill pro-
vided. The union thus formed bids
fair to wipe out fractional party differ
ences In the dominant party and al
low all its members to work in har-
mony, which has been lacking for
several years past 1t is believed the
high percentage of plurality agreed
upon will preserve the state conven-
ton system of nomination in many in
stances, and thus, the leaders declare.
preserve the party organization.
Woman Suffrage Goes Down Again.
In the evening up order of things il
was the senate's turn to kill the won.
an suffrage constitutional amendment
resolution at this session (the house
having killed it last year, and the
duty was performed by that body with
lneatness and dispatch on Friday. The
Il oh MI INV Colo
4 of Cerro Gordo county, who has been
its friend for many years, hut he was
unable to gather majority Of the
members about his standard He went
down to defeat smiling. with the prom
Use that 1909 would see a new intro.
duction of the resolution. Mrs. Dame,
the leader of the suffragists in Iowa
who had the bill in charge before the
assembly, declares that at the next
session 1t will be presented in a way
that will demand more attention. She
will start at once on plan of organ
ization, which will not only look to the
securing of petitions, but will arrange
that hundreds OF the best women Of
! the state shall come to Des Moines
during the session of the assembly
and present their pleas in body. She
, believes that all the legislators are
looking for now is an ocular demon
stration of the fact that there Il
y really demand for this amendmen
to the constitution.
3 Governor Signs Cracker Bill.
Governor Cummins has signed thu
. Ofil anti-frecracker bill, which pro
i hibits the sale in Iowa on the Fourtl
j of July, or at any time. of dynamite
explosives, and fire crackers mor'
! than five inches in length and three
quarters OF an inch in circumference
The bill also prohibits the sale or us,
= of toy pistols, toy cannons, dynamite
canes and all other dangerous ad
8 juncts to the celebration OF the glo
9 rious Fourth. 1t is said Governo
q Cummins hesitated for few days re
! garding the signing of the measure
f because it was claimed under 1T
a wording the sale Of candy revolver
q and crackers might be stopped, blu
). he decided at last to take the chanc,
!, that these would not be affected.
Harlan is Honored.
One of the most graceful acts O
the present assembly was the passag
Of the bill appropriating $4,000 TO
j the placing of a bronze statue of form
er Senator James F. Harlan in tn,
r hall Of statuary at Washington, D. c
| The bill for that purpose was passe,
through both houses of the legislator,
and enacted into law in less than tw,
hours from the time it was called vi
for consideration. The movement wa
backed by large delegation of citi
gems from Mount Pleasant, the hom
of Senator Harlan for many years
They came to. the capitol with /;
large number of magnificent portraits
of the former statesman, and thes
were placed on the desks of the mem
I u L.