The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-04-03
NO PROVISION FOR
PARTY PLATFORMS
IN PRIMARY BILL
Measure Prepared by Commits
sion Will Have to Be Amend
ed in the Legislature.
PLAN TO HAVE NOMINEES
MEET TO FIX ON PLANKS
Conventions Even for Governor
Will Be Wiped Out Under
Measure as Drafted.
IRON a star corresponaent.1

[From a Staff Correspondent
TRENTON. April at has been dis
covered that the commission which
prepared the bill for revision of the
primary election laws failed to make
provision for the manner of preparing
party platforms. As the bill would do
away with all conventions, candidates
being chosen by direct primary vote,
parties would have to find some new
way of formulating pledges.
Former Governor Stokes, who is the
head of the commission, was the first
to discover the omission of any pro-
vision as to platform. If the measure
is taken up in the Senate an amend
ment will be offered probably provid-
ing that the candidates of each party
shall get together after the primaries
and prepare their platform.
The Governor sent the bill drafted by
the commission to the Senate accom-
panied by a special message.
In the report to the Governor the
commission states of the bill it drafted:
1T provides for direct nominations
at the primary elections for all Of
fees to be filled by popular vote, in
Guiding Presidential electors and men,
bers of the House of Representatives.
Petitions indorsing candidates for Gov
ernor, with 800 signers; for Presidential
~elector, with 400 signers, and for mem
bers of Congress, with 200 signers, are
to be filed with the Secretary of State;
those for county offices, requiring 100
signers, are filed with the county clerks,
and for municipal offices. requiring so
ri f-a@ N- "a H. -1l--
Ward officers require only 10 indorsers.
In no case is a greater number than
10 per cent. of the party vote necessary.
By a system of certification the names
of all Endorsed candidates reach the
municipal clerk, who prints the ballots.
The returns are c~anvassed by the coun-
ty clerk, except as to the offices of
Governor, Presidential elector and
member of Congress: the returns as to
these offices are certified to the Secre-
tary Of State and c~anvassed by him..
The act includes, but separately from
the general provisions for nomination
OF candidates, the provisions of the
law of 1907 allowing voters to signify
their choice for United States Senator.
THE adjustment Of conventions
made it necessary to provide for the
tOaAAA1 1AIt q AOlll-
mittees, unless this should be left en-
tirely without regulation by law. Ac-
cordingly 1t has been provided that the
members of county and municipal COM
mittees must be elected each year at
the primary elections, one for each cleo
ton district. The members of the State
committees are to be selected every
four years by the various county COM
mittees, at least one for each county.
Vacancies in committees are filled by
the vote of the committee except in the
State committee, in which the county
committee fills the vacancy of its rep
resentatiVe.
To Prevent Fraud.
ITO provide against the abuse of
false registration merely for the purpose
of voting at the primary election, it
has been provided that the primary
election shall b. held on the third Tues
day of September of each year, being
one week after the first registration
day. No one except the persons regis
tered on the first registration day may
vote at the primary election
Several changes are necessary In
sections of the general election law IN
order to harmonic the same with the
provisions of this act, and the accom-
panying act is for this purpose. A few
changes in the detail of conducting the
primary elections have been made"
The primary reform bill affecting cleo
ton by political parties of delegates to
State and Congressional district con-
Ventions hat are to choose delegates to
Presidential conventions, was passed
by the House last night by a vote of
81 to 13.
Messrs. Miller, of Essex; Gibbs, of
Camden; Lewis, of Burlington, and
Voorhees,, of Middlesex, Republicans,
voted against the bill. The last named,
after criticising the bill changed his
vote to aye.
The bill as passed provides that in
first counties the primaries for
election of delegates shall be under off,
cial supervision, and that the polls shall
there be open from l to 8 p. M. A num-
Der of amendments have been put in
from time to time, out they do not ma
terially affect the measure. If it be-
comes a law it would make it neces-
sary for the county clerks to publish
the location and time of opening of all
polling places and all election officers
to take an oath to perform their duties
properly.
In the Republican cali for the State
convention and the primaries to elect
delegates in this years Presidential
campaign, issued sby State Chairman
Murphy, the conditions fixed for the
primaries are practically the same as
those described in the bill.