Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-02-05
give such support without pay or of.

In goou faith for the announcement
: OF candidacy in the newer, per
and for securing the names Of voter
required to file preliminary nomina
ton papers and the payment of an,
reasonable compensation for suci
services. Under this exception OF
proviso a candidate could legal,
], and properly pay for having the an.
nouncement of his candidacy print.
ed in the newspapers, and he would
not be limited to any particular
number of papers, but could legal,
nave such announcement printed in
as many newspapers as he saw fit.
; AS to the securing of names Of
Voters on preliminary nomination
papers, the act fixes the minimum
number of signers, and it is nv
opinion that candidate is not per-
mltted to pay for securing more than
such number of names with such
reasonable number in addition as
may be necessary to cover duplica-
ton or other errors. The act, how
ever, does not prohibit the friends
of the Candidate from securing ad-
ditional names: nor does it prohibit
persons from rendering any proper
service to candidate, or in the in.
terest Of candidate for Office, when
no pay is receive or expected; and
nomination papers may be circulat.
ed and names secured in an unlim-
tied number, but it must be done
without compensation.
Tho attorney general says that the
intent of the legislature in the en-
actment of the Peterson law prohiE-
itiag corporations from participat-
ing in campaigns was to make it
impossible for the corporation, as
such to exert any improper influence
in politics in the state. 1T can no
longer use it's money, its transpor-
tation, its property, or the Influence
OF its officers, agents and represent
atlves in advancing the interests of
any candidate for office, or in nopposi
ti5n to any candidate" he says, nor
CAN'T use any of these agencies for
the purpose Of improperly influ-
inc;ng the official action of any pub.
lie officer" He adds:
i There is, however, nothing in the
act that in any manner prevents any
OF its officers, agents, representa-
tives or employees from exercising
their individual right to support
such candidates for office as they may
wish, or from using their personsl
influencein political matters. The
oihcers, agent, representatives orem-
ploysof Scorporation is subject 70
prosecution under this chapter only
when he acts for and on behalf of |
the corporation in respect to the |
things which are prohibited in Sec
tions l and 2.
10 illustrate: A conductor on
street railway has the same right
to take part in political campaign,
help his friends who are candidates,
and exercise his influence in exact
iy the same way that other citizens
may. This same conductor and the
company, however, would be liable
to prosecution under this chapter if
at the request of the corporation
through superior officer, he should
take a layoff on full pay for ten DAYS
for the purpose of using his influ-
ence in soliciting votes for the can-
didates the corporation desired to
have succeed at the election.
Among the many friends provis-
ions of the primary law interpreted
by the attorney general he includes
the following:
If the names of three persons an.
peared upon the primary ballot flor
county audior, and no one of the
three receives the necessary 32 per
cent, would the convention have the
right to nominate for county audi
tor some person other than one of
three voted for at the primary? It
seems to me they can be but one
answer to this question. The coun.
ty convention is given the power to
make nominations for all county
offices for which no nomination was
made at the primary. This would
include not only the offices for which
were voted for at the pri-
mary, but also officer, if there should
be any snch, for which no candidate
on the primary ballot; the
evident intent of the legislature be-
ing to leave the convention free To
ill such places without limiting it
to the persons who were voted for
1t the primary.
Section q authorizes the con-
vention to nominate candidates for
she office of Judge of the supreme /
court, and to elect a state central
consisting of not less than ]
one member from each congress- I
onal district.
Suggestions have been made that
lnder this section the state conven- !
lion is authorized to name the chair
nan to the state central committee. t
The language of the section, how !
ever, dces not justify such construct !
on. 1t will be noted that nothing
s said in the section about the
selections of the chairman of the +
state central committe. On the con-
'rary the section provides that the
committee may organize at their
pleasure. This language indicates I
hat it was the intention of the leg
stature to permit the committee to
complete its organization by the :
election OF a chairman and such
'ther officers as it deemed neces.
ary to properly carry on its work.
fNha 80 Ii.