The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1907-07-04
The New Primary Law.

The Columbia Herald thus reviews
the new primary law which revolu-
tionizes our system CT selecting party
candidates:
"The act provides that state pri-
mary shall be held on the first Tues
day In August in 1908 and every two
years thereafter upon which day the
people will express their choice for all
elective candidates except city Off
GERS, county superintendent oischool
or village and district officers; In
other words it means that on the
above day all she parties willexpress
their choice OF candidates for elective
offices, including county, state and
congressional and those receiving
the highest vote will be deemed the
party nominees to be voted on at the
regular election in November. Thus
It can be seen that this act fixes the
first Tuesday In August for the bien.
NAL primary and does away with
conventions or party primaries call
ed at the instance OF party commit
tees, county, congressional or state
The expenses OF this primary are to
be paid out Of the treasures OF the
cities, counties and state, the same
as In general elections.
The state committee OF any party
may call convention OF delegates to
be determined in any way 1t seems
fit, which convention shall nominate
presidential electors, delegates to
national committees, and adopt u
party platform, etc. United States
Senators will not be voted on at the
primary but at the general election
in November, and the act provides
that no man can vote for a candi-
date for senator on one ticket whose
name appears officially on another
ticket; In other words, Republican
cannot vote for the Democratic can
didste while voting the balance OF
the Republican ticket and vice versa.
1t compels straight party vote and
the candidate receiving the highest
number OF votes for any party, will
be deemed the caucus nominee in the
legislature OF that party.
At least sixty days prior TO the
August primary any candidate for q
county Office must file his name and
address with county clerk, state the
office to which he aspires and the
party upon whose ticket he will run.
A candidate for state Office must be
nominated by at least one per cent
OF the vote Of his party and this one
per cent must be distributed over at
least six separate counties; such petit
tions will read, Il, the undersigned
qualified elector OF such and such
party, hereby nominate 80 and so as
a candidate for governor, attorney
general, etc. this one per cent OF the
vote to be based upon the presiden.
tial electors at the last election. In
case of congressman, two per cent OF
the voters of the congressional dis
trict must petition for his candidacy
and such two per cent must come
from at least one-t tenth OF the coun.
ties In such district.
Aspace is left In the ballot in which
the voter may write his choice oi
ward or township committeeman and
the men 80 selected shall meet at the
county seat the Friday following the
primary and proceed to elect chair
man, secretary and treasurer and
the chairman 80 elected shall become
q member Of the congressional, sens.
torial and judicial committees In the
district OF which bis county is part;
the chairman Of the county commit
tee in q given district will meet the
second Tuesday after the primary
aud select two of their members who
are to be the members Of the state
committee.