The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1907-04-25
NeW PRIMARY LAW.
Presents Many perplexing Prob
lens and will Probably Cause
Confusion and Trouble.

loWaS new primary law presents
some perpleNing problems that may
prove serious in the next presidential
election. 1t has been suggested that
suitable prize be offered to the politi-
clan who succeeds in solving the Iowa
primary riddle. Here are some of the
conundrums for Iowa politicians of both
parties to juggle with the coming year
of political quietness:
How are delegates to the national
convention to be chosen? Not a word
is said about them in the new primary
law.
How are the presidential electors
chosen in advance of the national con-
\ ventions to be bound to support their
party nominees? The primary law is
silent on the subject.
What issue will there be between ri
val candidates for nomination as presi-
Dental electors?
What convention shall determine "the
party platform? The primary law pro-
and state conventions "shall" adopt
party platforms.
Il Is the provision for district "party
platforms" intended to give legal au-
thority for as many party platforms"
instance, could the republicans of the
eleventh district declare for tariff revi-
sion and those of the first district de-
4 fend the present schedules? How could
state committee conduct such cam
\ paign in Iowa?
May state conventions in presidential
years adopt party platforms in advance
of the declaration of national conven-
lions? The latest date under the pri-
mary law for the state conventions next
year is earlier than the last three dem
ocratic national conventions have been
held.
Puts Electors in Contest.
The requirement that the nomination
of presidential electors shall be made
subject to contest at the primaries is
perhaps, the most puzzling feature of
the new law as it applies to presiden-
tial elections. Under the time-honored
custom of the country the position of
presidential elector has simply been an
honorary one, the elector being pledged
by party platforms and loyalty to per-
functorily vote for the nominee of his
party. Owing to the fgurehead char
acter of the position, there has rarely
! been any contest for the nomination.
But the state primary law makes the
nomination of electors subject to the
same contest as other political posi-
lions and the possible effect of this new
condition is already worrying politi-
clans in view of the independent"
& spirit that is being encouraged by GER
tain political leaders.
The fact that presidential electors in
4 Iowa are to be nominated by primary
al nnt 81, 81 IA
national convention pledge as to presi-
dental candidates makes them practi-
cally independent of their party. Sup
pose for instance, that radical anti
third termer should be nominated for
Iowa and that the national convention
should afterward renominate Roosevelt.
What is to prevent the ell, ctor from vot
lng against Roosevelt, especially if he
has made campaign for nomination as
Mould They Vote for haW.
By placing the nomination for presi-
Dental electors in contest before the
party candidates for president and
vice president are nominated, it is bu5
natural to presume that issues will
arise between rival candidates for cleo
tors. There will undoubtedly be
Roosevelt" electors, Taft" electors
and possible "Cummins' electors. Yet,
if Shaw should happen to be nominated
for president, and "Cummins" candi-
dates named for presidential electors
from Iowa, would they vote for Shaw
in the electoral college or would gold
standard democrat elector vote for
Bryan.
@ The fact that the nomination of pres
idential electors is the only way the
voters of Iowa have, under the new pri-
mary law, of expressing their prefer
ence of national candidates, seems almost
certain to make the electors subject to
partisan contest. The new law re-
8quires that presidential electors shall
be nominated at the primary the same
as state officers and they have to file
the same aifidavts and petitions.
Each candidate for presidential cleo
tor at large must file a petition signed
by at least per cent of the voters of
his party in each of at least ten coun-
ties of the state and in the aggregate
not less than one-half of one per cent of
Sthe vote of his party in the state. Can
Nidates for district electors must file
petitions signed by at least per cent
Of the voters Of his party in at least
one-half the counties of his district
and in the aggregate not less than l
per cent of the vote of his party in the
district as shown by the last general
election.
Petition of |, O84 for Electors.
One per cent of the republican vote
in ten of the largest counties in the
state would mean petition of close to
1876 names that candidate for presi-
Dental elector at large would have to
prepare if he circulated it in those
counties. According to the last general
election, candidate for elector at
large to secure 1 per cent of the repub-
lican vote would have to get the follow
ing number of signatures in these ten
counties to quality for the primary:
Black Hawk, 33; Des Moines, 33; Dubu-
4 que, AZ; Fayette, 81; Lee, 80; Linn, AZ;
Marshall, 80; Polk, 81; Pottawattamie,
81; Woodbury., 49,; total ten counties,
436. Even if the candidate for elector
AT large, should select smaller counties