The San Francisco call., 1909-12-29
ELECTORS NOT REGIsTERED


The result is that in two-thirds of
the state the Electors are not registered
aS partisans as required by the provi-
sions OF the direct primary Law. Begin
ring With January ], 1910, every eiector
. in California must, IL he wishes TO par
t--ipate in primary elections. designate
his nsrtisan Affiliations in his affidavit
IS registration.
Tho attitude Of the San Francisco
eald is that the present or old register
dies on December 81. and that only the
rev register which IS opened on Janu-
l. sifoHiG be used in determining the
eligibility ~ siTners OF petitions for
se9T on the partisan primary ballots.
E.o contention of Secretary ofsState
Caasies j. Curry and several other as
u.lasts Tor state Office is that there is
10 aew register until registration is
closea Tor the November election and
ttat any eiector who has registered
WIZ without partisan declarations
d1-i1g thc last two years is qualified to
s.sn . nominating petition.
rs is the contention set up by
-Griebo in his application for q writ of
anandate to compel the San Francisco
election commission TO use the, cid reg
lister with the new as supplement.
RIGHTS OF PETITIONERS
They contend in effect that the cleo
tor who has not registered as a par
tisan and who In fact may be a demo-
erat or a socialist, has the same right 70
sign q republican candidates petition
that is expressly given by law TO the
elector who has declared his partisan
aaihations under cath IN the event
rhat their contention is sustained it
weuld be possible for 2.100 undeclared
electors to qualify a candidate for a
place on a partisan state primary ticket
wTO5Ild debar them from voting.
Again, If the contention Of the peti-
tioners IS sustained. the purpose and
iptent Of a biennial renewal Of the
great register is nullified. The reason
underlying the biennial renewal of
registration. is the underlying reason
Tor registration OF any sort--the pre-
Cention OF fraud. The older the regis
ter the more abundant are the opportu-
mites for fraud offered by it,
LIFEaOF OLD REGISTER
II the contention OF the champions of
the old register are sustained the life
OF tlfeo California register will be two
wears and seven months instead of two
years as prescribed by the provisions of
the general election laws. The valida-
tfon Of such an expansion of the law
would enable an aspirant for state office,
or any county Office for that matter.
TO begin the work of shutting out other
candidates two years and six months
before the date fixed for the filing of
his petition.
The oath of the petition undoubtedly
would not serve to compel all the sub
scribers TO vote for the man for whom
they had signed two years previously,
but their signatures on his petition
would prevent them from petitioning
for another whom they might prefer
and for whom they might wish to vote.
That the element Of time argued by
the petitioners is not Of the essence of
the case was demonstrated in San
Francisco last summer. The direct pri-
mary law did not go into effect until
June !. The decision OF the supreme
court sustaining its validity was handed
down on June IS. The primary election
was held in August OF this year. as il
will be held in August next year. No
candidate had any dif7culty in com
pleting his petition for a place on the
municipal primary ballot after June
2S, but the champions of the old regis
Ter contend that they can not complete
petitions between January and July
next year.
DIFFERENCE IN PERCENTAGE
The municipal primary petitions must
carry per cent OF the vote of the
party, while for the petitions for places
on the state primary ballots only L
per cent Of the party vote is required.
gnd that minimum must be spread over
At least 10 counties. The republican
minimum. which involves the highest
number of votes, will be only 2,1OO. II
must come from at least 10. counties
which, on a basis Of free averages
means that the candidate need secure
only 20 signatures in each county. This
task, they contend. can not be done in
six. months unless the old register is
validated.
There will be no dificuIty about the
new registration being wholly. ade-
ouate" said President Gator Of the san
Francisco commission yesterday.