Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-06-09
Members of Legislature and
Others Considering What
Changes Are Needed
QUESTION OF PREFERENCE
Alphabetical Arrangement of candi-
dates Give Some a Great Advantage
Many Favor Elimination Of 35 Per
Cent cIause-Hissy Again in Cam
paisn.

| Special to Times-Republican.
| Des Moines, June 9.-Members of
| the legislature who have been in Des
Moines since the primary election are
inquiring what the people here think
of the primary election law and are
seeking to ascertain in what manner
clans in Des Moines are discussing the
same question. There is no intention
seeming, outside of the editorial col
umns of some of the standpat news
papers, for repeal Of the law.
One of the things discussed in re-
lation to the primary is the question
of preference on the ticket. Practic-
ally all the standpat candidates, In
fact all with the exception of that
for lieutenant governor, had their
names first in order on the primary
ballot because the law provides that
they shall be alphabetically arranged.
There was great deal OF discussion
before the primary election and still
more since as to how great an ad-
vantage this is. Many predicted that
| it would amount to 10000 votes in a
total vote of 100000, believing there
| were that many people in the state
who would be unfamiliar with the
candidates and would simply vote for
the first on the list for each office.
Some states using the primary cleo
ton method of selecting nominees pro-
vide that the names shall go on the
ballot in the order in which they are
filed. It is argued that no candidate
should have an advantage over an
other simply because his name begins
with IA while the other mans be-
gins with "B' Necessarily the pri-
mary must be worked out by exper-
ience in this state for legislators seem
,disinclined to be guided by the exper-
ience In other states and there is some
difficulty in ascertaining to certain
ty just what the experience Of other
states is. One Of the schemes to over
come this advantage Is to change the
order Of the names for every hundred
ballots. If there are two candidates
for an office print one-half of them
with one mans name first and the
other half with the other mans name
! first If three candidates then one
third of the ballots with each mans
name first and then mix the ballots
In the election that has just been
held the standpatters purposely Sc
cured the names of candidates for
presidential elector for no other rea-
son than that their names would be
first on the ballot. 1t is more than
likely that amendments to the primary
election law will be offered at the
next session of the legislature and it
is believed that this matter will be
one of the more important changes
proposed.
1t is likely too, that there will be
move to cut out the 35 per cent
clause, throwing the nomination into
the convention where no cam
didate receives 35 per cent of the vote
On state officers this year this clause
has no bearing for there were at most
but three candidates for any one Of
fee, but in the counties for county
offices there were some times several
and in Jasper county the democratic
nomination for legislator Is thrown
into the convention. There is not
thought to be such great likelihood OF
change there, however, tho in the
northern part of the state there is
much discussion of such change.
A feature of the primary that Is
causing considerable discussion Is the
fact that the candidates down on the
ticket do not get the full vote for the
head of the ticket For instance the
combined vote for United States sem
ator was nearly 100000 while the COM
bined vote for governor was only about
150, 900. The three candidates for gov
ernor thus polled only about three
fourths of the vote that was polled by
the two candidates for United States
senator. 1t is believed that the can
didates down farther on the ticket
polled even less number. This is
matter than can not be remedied by
change of the primary law, however,
and is based on the same causes that
resulted under the caucus and conVen-
ton system in the fight being made on
the candidates at the head of the tick
ct while those down on the list had to
squeeze in anyway they could. It Is
believed that under the primary law
there is better chance for preventing
solid factional lineup in ordinary
years than under the old system.
Unless the authorities of Tama coun-
ty decide to shut him up, Andrew
Townsend Hisey, of Tama, Iowa, will
campaign the state of Iowa again on
his secular government platform, which
platform is a combination of high
sounding words devoid of meaning in
the connection in which they are used.
Hisey pushed a wheelbarroW full OF
literature from one end of Iowa to the
other, two years ago as candidate for
governor. The other day he telephoned
to Secretary of State Hayward to as
certain the legal requirements for be-
coming candidate by petition. This
yea. 1t is understood he has 1t In mind