Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-03-15


llitical party could become a candidate
for his party's nomination fc. say
ward, municipality county, congress
sional of state office by securing the
requisite number OF signatures, which
would not be required to be more
than 500 in any case. II he were q
candidate for a ward or city Office he
would file this petition with the city
clerk; If for a county Office, with the
county clerk, and If for a higher Office
with the secretary of state. There
would be nothing to prevent any man,
rich or poor, being a candidate for
any nomination of his party, If he
could secure the. necessary number of
signatures to his petition.
On the official party ballots for the
primaries the names of all candidates
of the party for each nomination
would be printed under the name of
the Office to which the nomination
was to be made, and the voter would
vote for the man of his choice by sim
ply scratching out all the other
names. The candidate who, in the
primaries throughout the territorial
division in which the election was to
be held, received the highest number
of votes, would, without further ado,i
become the nominee of his party for
the Office to which he aspired, just as
in the general election the nominee
receiving the highest number of votes
is declared elected to the office. The
primary vote for ward and city nomi--
nees would be canvassed by the city
or municipal clerk, the vote for coun-
ty nominations by the county clerk
and the vote for nominations for con-
gress, governor and other officers,
delegates or electors to be voted on in
territorial divisions larger than a
single county would be canvessed by
the secretary of state.
Makes Independence Possible.
1t is proposed to hold the fall pri-
maries as now, on the fourth Tues
day in September, excepting in the
year of gubernatorial election,
when they will be held on the second
Tuesday in September. The registra-
tion provisions and requirements of
the present law are unchanged. In the
election of delegates to national con-
ventions the candidates for election
as delegates are to be allowed to have
printed opposite their names on the
official party ballots the name of
their choice for President.
Under the present delegate system
1T is necessary, in practice, If not in
theory, for eleven candidates for as
sembly nominations to join together
in the campaign for election of dele
gates to the county convention. The
only way to make fight for an as
sembly nomination, under the dele
gate system in Essex, is through a
factional fight for control of the con-
vention. Under the plan proposed
any party member who could secure
500 signatures to his petition, could
become candidate for a nomination
regardless and Independent of the
candidates. of others. There might
be fifty candidates for the eleven as
sembly nominations. and the eleven
own received the highest vote In the
primary elections throughout the
county would be the party nominees
for members of assembly. No ma
chine, regular or reform, could con-
troll the nominations of any man or
set of men to any offices, excepting
through the ability to induce enough
voters to vote for their candidates.
One of the most important and vi
tai of the proposed Colby amend
ments is that which would confine the
circulation of the official primary bal
lots to the polling room or booth This
plan was proposed by the commission
consisting of Governor Stokes, Jo-
seph l.. Mum and George l.. Record,
which drew the present primary law.
The legislature, at the instance of the
republican bosses, however, refused
to agree to this provision.
The Colby amendment on this sub
ject proposes to keep the official bal
lots within the polling places by maxi
hard labor, or both, for any person I
to knowingly have an official ballot in
his possession outside any polling
room. To further guard against vote
buying through the medium of mark
ed ballots, or the fooling of ignorant
and illiterate voters by substituting
one party ballot for another, it is
that republican primary bal
lots shall be printed on blue paper,
democratic ballots on red paper and
the primary ballots of any third par
ty on yellow paper. In order that
voters may have the opportunity to
examine the form of the ballots be-
forehand and may, If they desire,
mark a ballot as a guide before go
ing to the primary, it is proposed to
have printed and distributed a SAM
pie ballot. all of which, for all par
ties, are to be printed on white paper.
These sample ballots are to have
printed at the top, Sample ballot.
Do not vote this" and instructions as
to the color of the paper on which
the official ballot of that party is
printed. j,