Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-06-01
Primary Election Will Decide
Every Contest For Republic
can Nominations
NO STRING ON PETITION sleNERs
standpats Giving Out Much Misinfor-
nation to Intimidate voters-En-
.courasins Democrats to Vote for Al
lison as tho Weaker Candidate
Primary Law Is Plain.
Special to Times Republican.

be made at the primary election to-
morrow will be thrown into the state
conventions. The primary election law
provides that unless some candidate
gets at least 35 per cent of the vote
for that office the nomination shall be
thrown into the state convention. OBJ
viously there must be four or more
candidates or some candidate will gel
more than 35 per cent. Where there are
but two candidates, which is the case
with the majority of the offices on the
republican ballot, the primary will re-
suit in a nomination. For the offices
OF lieutenant governor and railroad
commissioner there are three candi-
dates each. 1t would Of course be
naathematicany possible for each can
aidate to get SO Ia per cent of the
vote but in practical affairs such q
close vote is unheard of. With the
democrats for the majority of the Of
fees there is but one candidate. The
state conventions will nominate SUI
! preme court judges and adopt plat
forms and in the republican party
there is no opposition to the re-nomi-
nation of the present Judges.
A considerable amount of misinfor-
nation has been given out during the
last days of the campaign by the
standpat press bureau here. One of
these articles says that the names of
all voters signed to nomination petition
blanks will be had at the polls and
| every person trying to vote another
\ 1,,ill .hn This
claim has led to an investigation
(which haas disclosed that the stanqpat-
tters inla number of the large cities
propose to vote the standpat element
of the democratic party for Allison for
senator. The nomination petition
blanks are locked up in the vault In
the office of Secretary Of State Hay
ward and no one Is allowed access to
them.
Furthermore there is no use denying
the plain provisions of the primary
e1ettl& law The law provides that
when the voters go to the primary
polling places they shall ask for the
party ballot that they wish. II they
wish to align themselves with the re-
pubiicans they ask for, republican
ballot II they wish to align themselves
with the democrats they ask for a
democratic ballot. This fifixes their
party affiliations and IL they wish at
any time TO change to another political
party they must file written declara-
ton with the county auditor. A polit-
ical party is not close corporation,
and voter can Join any party he
wishes or change his party affiliatiOn
any time that he wishes.
Some time ago the Cedar Rapids Re-
publican said: There is absolutely
nothing to prevent democrats voting
the Republican primary ticket If they
so desire. That hundreds will do this
is believed by many. They will do it
for Allison is further borne out by
mated all the democrats would remain
in line They believe it will be easier
to defeat Allison for the senate than
A. b. Cummins."
T. Then of course the democrats will
lvote. for, Allison at the primaries as
they have but one candidate on the
deniocraticsticket and no fight on.
This idea of the democrats voting
for Allison Is further bourne out by
an editorial in the Dubuque Telegraph
Herald, a democratic paper. 1t says:
'This paper Is advised that several
score Of democrats affixed their names
to the membership roll of the Allison
club. This newspaper is also advised
that the Allison headquarters here adj
dressed literature in support of Sena-
tor Allison to practically every local
democrat
It is believed that It will be quite
late before the primary returns are
received tomorrow night. There are
1900 precincts In the state of Iowa.
Perhaps 500 of these will have reported
on the couns on United States senator
on the republican ballot by midnight
and on these 500 1t will probably be
possible to forecast to a reasonable
certainty the. results as between ALL
son and Cummins The ballots will be
sorted as to parties first. Then the
count will be made and there will be
straight" ballots as there are at the
November elections. Undoubtedly In
every precinct the Judges will count
the vote on United States senator first
and then proceed with the count on
electors and governor and on down.
But aside from the vote on republican
candidates for senator the results will
never be known on primary election
night. The primary law provides that
the polls shall not close till in the
evening. In cities where registration
is required the polls open at in the
morning and closes at p. m. In the
country the polls open at p. m. and
close at 8 p. m.