The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1908-11-24

/ From a perusal OF the above ballot
as marked, 1t is plain that the voter is
IaSstraight republican at least as fas as
| Legislative matters go, and that he
wants his representative to vote for M.
| NJ Johnson for u. s. senator, Nobody
besides himself knows who voted the
ballot, but he has clearly. expressed
himself a republican on the ballot SO
| far as 1t goes-and we don't know any
better test--unless we can somehow get
hold Of his whole ticket, which OF
| course is impossible, &
! If the voter had crossed his ticket"
and voted say for Mr.. Wexford the
democratic candidate, leaving out Mr.
| Watts, then his wishes as republican
should be discounted just in proportion
III the voter had voted say, for all the
republican legislators and then asked
them to vote for Mr.. Cashel or Mr.. Doe
or other opposition party senatorial
candidate, then his wishes would count
for nothing because 1t could not be ex-
pected that a republican legislator
would vote for democratic senator
except under most extraordinary cir
cumstances. ts
While we have taken the first legis-
lative district and candidates for illus
trations the same remarks would be
| true of any other district or any other
party IL they were in the majority. we
have also assumed that the selections
at the primaries for senator followed
the present methods.
1t may be objected, that even the
marking ON the proposed ballot viii
not definitely settle the question as to
whether the voter is republican oil
not because he might vote everything
else democratic. This is true. but this
Will come about as near as possible
and still observe the secrecy Of the
ballot and perhaps will be about as fair
a test as any other possible. If the
voter Is republican on legislative mat
4 ters he Is more likely to be so on most
II not all, matters, as there Is. more real
partisanship involved In legislative
affairs than in county candidates fol-
i instance. 4tf 4 ,a. ,sA.
But Of course the discussion Of that
matter brings us up against the pri-
mary law as 1t involves the questions
what Is q partisan, and what ii q
1 party7" and those are questions ans.
Wered only by each mans own con
oDASAASS~ dA0 ESLthiOI DC Q6IlH6Q In law
or by law. ~.
Another thing about this form d.
ballot is that with the blank space be.
low the senatorial names, the voters
by stickers or writing might still ex.
press their preference for some THIRD
party as senator at the general election
and not be forced to take the choic,
from two candidates neither Of whom
were their real choice, though the,
/ were the choice OF the majority Of TIKI
party In the state (such state chosen
candidates, however, to have the adj.
vantage Of names printed on the bal,
Ilot). The voter also might write IL
his ballot something to the effect tina,
he was willing to leave the matter q,
how the legislator should vote. to trs
Judgment Of the legislator hinnsel
when the time came for casting HI:
vote In the Legislature. And VIII
this privilege there might be a goo1
many votes SO expressed. Anyway. WI
submit the suggestion. 1T may be !
bungle. and II 80, IT will be no worse
than the law which has suggested III.