The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-06
NOPL ACEFORT Them
Populists Not Entitled to Space
ON Official Ballot.
Didn't Cast Enough Votes to
Entitle Them to Position.

Inc POpul1St part In Kansas Will not
be able to get representation on the
primary election ballots, or on the bal
lot of the next general election. In
short, the Populist party is dead in
Kansas.
This will be the decision of the state
canvassing board, as it is already the
opinion of the secretary of state and
the attorney general. The ratification
of this decision will be merely matter
of formality with the canvass1ng
board.
THE Populist party can't get on the
ticket because the law says they
can't" said Secretary of State Den
ton. There isn't any chance to ques-
ton that proposition, and I am going
ahead on that theory. I have not in
cluded the Populist party in the sam
pie ballot which I am making up.
There will be four ballots offered to
the voters at the primary-Republ1ca
Democratic. Socialist and Prohibition.
The Populists are out of it. The only
way they can get back into recognition
as political organization is to re-
organize, and come in as new party.
This reorganization will require
petition with about 1000 names. and
the Popullsts can't get that many
names in Kansas. The only thing left
LUZ Tie 1OpullSt TO 90 at the primary
is to go to the polls, call for blank
ballot, and write in the names of all
the candidates for whom he wishes to
vote. But if man is nominated in
this way he becomes an Independent
candidate, not Populist candidate.
Attorney General Jackson said: "I
cant see how it will be possible for the
Populist party to get on the ballot Of
the primary election. The law doesn't
provide for it, and there seems to be
a of OF M
ty any way. If the canvassing board
rules that the Populists can't have a
separate ballot at the primary, it does
not mean that anybody has been dis
franchfsed, for the law recognizes GER
tain limits within which party must
be maintained. If a party becomes so
small that it can't cast 1 per cent of
the total vote of the state, 1t ceases to
count for anything politically, and
can't expect to retain recognition as a
political organization. There has been
no meeting held of the canvassIng
board. but know how the members
feel about this, and when necessary
will simply have the action formally
taken. There is no possibility that the
Populists can get on the ticket"
First Petition Filed.
The first batch" OF petitions to be
filed with the secretary of state UNI
der the new law came In today from
Oscar Fagerberg, of O1dsburg, Kan,
VINO Will De a RepuDIcan candidate
for state senator in the Eighteenth
| district. This district is composed of
Pottawatomie and Nemaha counties
and is now represented by Geo. P.
Hayden, who has moved out of the
district. There are three or four 9TH
er candidates talked of in this dis
! trict, but Fagerberg is the first to
come across. Fagerberg is from Pot
tawatomie county, and it seems to be
generally conceded that Pottawatomie
as Nemaha county had the senator
| last term.
! Mr.. Fagerberg says that his petit
lions contain all the names necessary
to place him on the primary ballot.
They have not yet been examined.
| CHIEF Clerk Morrison of the secre-
tary of states office, will have charge
of the petitions as they come in, and
will file them away in the office
vaults. Special clerks will be employ
ed to ascertain exactly how many
names must be placed on every petit
ton from every election precinct in
the state. This information is neces-
sary in checking over the petitions
for nomination for district office, in
which the law requires two per cent
of the voters in at least one-tenth OF
the election precincts in at least one.
half OF the counties of the district
And the petition must not contain
more than one-tenth of the voters o.
any precinct. So the clerks must as
certain the maximum and minimum
for every election precinct in tht
state, based on the returns from the
last general election.