The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-04
POLITICAL GOSSIP
How Independent Voters Can
Be Heard at Primary.
May Use Blank Ballot or Name
by Petition.
JACKSON'S OPINION.
Names of Members of Opposing
Party Can't Be Written In.
Col. Bill Hackney Is Stirring Up
Things in Cowley.

There are two ways for "independ-
ent" voters, who claim allegiance 70
no party, to get their candidates on Inc
general election ballot through the
primary election route;
First-By using the blank palio'
provided at the primary.
Secondly nominating candidates
by petition, exactly as may be oohe
under existing statutes.
This is the gist of an opinion given
out by Attorney General Jackson con-
corning the operation of the new prl-
mary law 1t was called forth by
questions propounded by Dave
Blaine of Pratt, who, as an indepeho-
ent candidate, was elected to the leg
islature at the last election.
The attorney general calls attention
to this important fact: A candidate
whose name is on any party ticket can
not be voted for except by using tnat
party ticket. For example II rs
publican who is not satisf1ed WIN elln-
er Stubs or Leland for governor de-
sired to vote for Democratic canol-
date for governor, he could not 90 SO
by writing in the Democrats name on
the Republican ballot. II ne ala So
he would inyalidate his whole ticket.
But he could write in the name OF
some other Republican.
General Jackson says:
1.-THE blank lines on the republican
ticket are for the convenience OF he
publicans who are not satlsned with
any of the candidates whose names are
printed on the Republican ballot, SO
that they may write the names OF
other Republicans on tina Dallot: II
may also happen, and is very likely
TO happen, especially in township Of
fees, that no person has taken me
trouble to circulate a sufficient num-
Der of petitions to get his name print
ed on his party ticket. And l appre-
bend that a great number of offices,
even on the party tickets of the lead
ing political parties Of the state, Will
be in blank on August A. For all such
cases the blank space In the party pal
lot will be most convenient, so that
with little or no trouble the members
of each political party on primary day
can write in the names and vote for
persons to be nominated for all the
offices at the general election. OF
course these remarks are as applica-
BILE to the Democratic party, the So
cialist party, or the Prohibition party.
Another question is asked in re-
gard to the blank lines in the party
ballots, which question may be framed
dissatisfied with the candidates for the
nomination for a certain Office in his
own party, vote for a person who is
running for the nomination for the
same office on the Republican party
HE can not. 1t is no business of
the Democrats who is nominated by
the Republicans, and it is no business
of the Republicans who is nominated
by the Democrats, and so the primary
law provides that where a person
writes the name on his ticket of a per-
son whose name is printed as a can
dtdate on another party ticket, such
person thereby destroys his ballot and
1t shall not be counted. See Sec 10,
subdivision of the primary law.
at is true that it may happen that
n person might be nominated on two
tickets by having his name written in
as candidate on two different party
tickets. In such case. 1t would be his
duty to choose upon which ticket he
would run. and If he did not, the
state canvassing board. or the county