Charlevoix county herald., 1907-10-12

a oTRoNoER PRIMARY LAW le
the GOVERNORS FIXED
PURPOSE.
LOBBYING GETS A TOUCH
AttaeI<s the Forty Per Cent Clause and
Wants Delegates to National Con-
vsntisn Elected at Primaries.


ventisn Elected at Primaries.
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 legIslature-Act-
ing by virtue of authority vested in
the governor by sec. Z, Of Art. ", 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
It's recent regular session to enact a.
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
nation 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,
It cannot be successfully controvert-
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 1t 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 percentage, how
ever small. of the total vote cast.
These laws were petitioned for by the
people because of their desire to make
their own nominations and not dele
gate that power to conventions which
might or might not carry out their
will. Not only is there no percentage
provision in the laws covering the
nomination in the cases mentioned,
but no legislature ever had the temer-
ity to suggest the inclusion of such a
provision. All clearly understood what
the people demanded.
It is well known to all of you that
the 40 per cent provision of the pres
ent law was included in that statute
as a matter of necessary compromise.
The house passed 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. If 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 864 candidates for
political office, including candidates
for state, congressional, legislative and
county offices. were nominated by d.
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. It 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 adj
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 num-
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 candidate
for an ONCE than the constitution of
the state throws about the election
after the nomination Is made. For
nearly so years the person receiving
the highest number Of votes has been
Verdict Against saIoonkesper.