Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-09-25
URGE AMENDMENT
TO MAKE BETTER
PRIMARY LAW
LEGISLATURE WILL BE ASKED TIC
CHANGE DEFECTS IN PRES
ENT SYSTEM.
MAY MEET WITH OPPOSITION.
Solons VIII Have Difficulty in Framing
Bill to Limit Campaign
Expenses.
STATUTE is NOT NOW ADEQUATE.

MADISON, Wis, Sept 22.-[ Special ]
The rotation of names on the primary
ballot, the restricting of voters to their
own parties and the limiting of expenses
that may be incurred by candidates will
be among the principal reforms proposed
for the amendment of the Wisconsin pri-
mary election law at the next session Of
the state Legislature. These provisions
were all proposed at the passage Of the
law in the session that followed, but
they were withdrawn, with the tacit I'M
derstanding that if. after free and lib
eral trial Of the primary principle they
should be found desirable of incorpOra-
ton, the law was TO be amended accord
lHgly.
Advantage IN Initial.
The SPONSORS Of these reform features
now take the position that the recent
test Of the law has made these features
desirable. 1t is believed it has been
pretty generally shown that the man
whose initial puts him at the head of d
ballot has an advantage over those who
follow HIM, which can hardly be called
lair. That those with favored initials
would prefer to have the law stand as
It docs today was shown III the last
session. when five members whose names
-
Change. One plan Of rotation proposed
IS that Of changing the ballot for every
other county, the names to be shifted III
each case. Some such plan prevails in
Minnesota, but the argument of expense
IS urged against it here.
The proposition TO restrict voters to
their own parties viii probably Cncoun-
ter bitter opposition. Many well meaIl-
ing people will see in this movement Il
sinister scheme TO defeat the Australian
principle Of secrecy i'll voting, and will
oppose it accordingly; but since the prl-
mary law takes the place of the party
caucus, IL is urged that 1T is apparent
that voters should stay i'll their own
camps and not seek the control Of par
ties in which they have no sincere in
terest
Various plans may be proposed to
bring this about one of which may be
the Iowa idea" of requiring voters to
designate their party Affiliations and be
subject to challenge. A more satisfac-
tory plan, however, may be found i'll that
which will require each party at the prl-
mary election to poll Il certain percent
age of its last general election vote as Il
condition for its candidates qualifying
for places on the regular ballot. The
defect in the present primary system has
been shown often i'll precincts notorious
ly" Democratic, when a heavy vote has
been poled for Republican seekers after
nominations for state and legislative
offices, as well as for United States sen
atOr.
Limit Campaign Expenses.
The limiting of expenses of candidates
will be n hard nut to crack. An at
tempt will be made to take up this prob
lem at the state platform convention.
by means of resolutions looking toward
an investigation of the recent primary.
The resolutions can hardly be expected
to be incorporated i'll the platform, but
it will cause talk that VIII give the
question greater prestige before the Leg
sature this winter.
Two years ago Secretary of State
Frear suggested a plan whereby it
would be to the interest of rival candi-
dates to watch each other, and to make
violation of the law, namely, the use of
a larger sum than the maximum under
the law, punishable by disqualification
of the candidate and the elevation of
the next highest. This plan undoubted-
Iy will be urged again this winter and
perhaps others that may be thought
equally good Wisconsin has a law re-
quiring candidates to file expense ac-
counts. 1t also provides that district
attorneys shall investigate such accounts
as shall be filed aud institute proceed
ings in case there is suspicion of illegal
use of money; yet it is believed that no
district attorney in this state has ever
raised the question of the propriety or
legality of any candidates acts in this
rpSDect