The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1907-01-04

vision ana examination aHOruS.
recommend that proper system
of state regulation and examination
OF private banks be provided by this
legislature. Some have suggested the
Wisconsin law, which does not permit
the organization of any private banks,
requiring all banks to come under the
state law. II does allow banks with
small capital to organize and do bust
ness in towns with a small popula.
ton.
Direct Nominations.
The subject of direct nomination OF
candidates for public office demands
1 your consideration. Previous TO the
meeting OF the last legislature there
were those who favored departing at
once from the convention system and
making every nomination by direct
vote OF the electors. Others, equally
honest and sincere, believed the rem
edly for existing evils could be found
in legislation which would more
strongly safeguard the caucuses and
conventions. That il was the duty of
the legislature to act in the premises
/ was almost universally conceded, and
in my first message | recommended
this subject TO the careful attention of
your predecessors.
Act No. 1S1, of the public acts Of
1908, known as the primary election
law. was passed and received my APP
rroval. Experience under it has dem
Onstrated that in some particulars
amendment is necessary, but that the
law is satisfactory in the main is dem
onstrated by the fact that in the cam
paign Just closed it was not an issue.
The silence of both press and public
speakers on this subject was in strik-
ing contrast with the conditions of two
years before The criticisms which at
the outset this law encountered pro-
cceded both from those who sincerely
believed its principle to be unwise, and
from those who were moved not so
much by a desire for primary reform
as for party disOrganization. This
/ was new law along new lines. Its
provisions, of necessity, were expert
mental. just as in the case of the Aus
tralian ballot law, the banking law
and many others. which, by correction
and amendment from time to time.
have come to operate smoothly and to
the satisfaction of the whole people.
Under the provisions of this new
] law. candidates for county offices were
nominated last fall by one political
party i'm 40 counties and by another
political party i'm counties. Seventy
- 81
ture were nominated Ivy direct vote.
/ In nine congressional districts candi-
! dates were named in the new way.
Thus the operation Of the law has been
widespread. In the consideration Of
proposed amendments you have the
benefit Of experience which your
predecessors did not have and so will
be able to make such Improvement as
experience dictates is wise.
Defects i'm Primary Law.
Chief among the defects i'm the pri-
mary election law which its operation
has pointed out is that both to the
candidate and the public it is too ex
pensivP. That which made imperative
the enactment of a primary election
law two years ago was the sincere
desire Of our people for some change
that would prevent the corrupt use Of
money in politics and. rs far as pos
sihe. make unnecessary the use Of
money at all. While the new law
properly and quite successfully
stopped the corrupt use Of money. it
has not operated as its Trainers thought
IL would operate. TO cut down the eX-
penSe Of campaign for nomination,
but has rather aggravated that evil.
The poor man ought not thus to be
placed at Il disadvantage i'm a contest
with "a man of means. The provision
Of the law requiring signatures to NOM
ination blanks ought to be radically
amended. making the minimum and
maximum number of signatures re-
CURED very small and very near to-
gether.
At the outset ii was deemed wise to
provide one primary for the submis-
sion of the question Of direct nOmina-
tons and the nomination of governor
and Lieutenant governor. and one for
the nomination OF other candidates.
IlllS, TOO, Operated 10 increase pubic
and private expense. There should be
but one primary day and upon that
day all nominations. under the pro-
visions of this law, should be made.
Provision could be made for the sub
mission of the question Of direct nom
nations whenever petitioned for at the
April election. thus making use of the
election machinery already in use and
with but slight additional expense.
Party Enrolment.
The provision of the law recurring
party enrolment. i'm its operation. has
justified the recommendation which |
made i'm 1903. To vote under false pre-
lenses at party primary is con-
tenptihlc and fraudulent. Republican
nominations should he made by Repub-
leans. Democratic nominations should
be made by Democrats The truth Of
these statements is, self-evident. Party
enrolment prevents false pretense and
in no way interferes with the right Of
the voter at the general election. Since
the new law went into effect. we have
had one day. election day in April last