The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-15
Measure rs Duplicate OF One
introduced Two Years Ago
And Which Was Nearly
Made a Statute.
WELLS OF FORT WAYNE
Is BILLS SPONSOR
Purpose Is to Purify Methods
Of Political Parties by
Which Nominations Are
Made-Provisions.
Palladium 9urOa0
IndianapoIis, Feb. IS.

Palladium eursau
indianapolis. Feb. IS.
The democratic primary elections
bill, the one that is to receive the sup
port of the party in both houses Of
the legislature. has made its appear.
ance in the bill introduced by Repre-
sentative Wells. of Fort Wayne. II
is the same as the bill that was il
troduced in the house two years ago,
by Representative Downey. of Shell
byville and which came near to GO
ing through. even though the repub-
licans were in the majority in the
house. Two years ago Representative
King. Of Wabash. who is now the re-
publican floor leader in the house,
voted for the Downey bill as against
the Roemler primary bill. but whether
he will do SO this time is not known.
To "Purify" Methods.
The bill says this in the first SEC
ton:
1T is the intention of this act to
purify and reform the methods by
which organized political parties shall
make nominations of candidates for
public offices. to perpetuate and
strengthen political parties by elimin-
ating .therefrom the evils hereby
sought to be corrected. to secure to
each individual member of such party
an absolute freedom and independence
In the expression of his preferences
relating to nominations by such par
ties and to prevent and prohibit the
use and influence of improper and
corrupt methods.
1T is not the intention hereof to
destroy or impair the organization Of
any party now existing or hereafter
to exist, therefore each of such par
ties and each and all OF the commit
tees thereof shall possess all OF the
ordinary powers and authority hereto
fore established by the usages, ira
ditions and customs of such parties
not inconsistent with the provisions
hereof. and this act shall be SO con-
strued rs to give force and effect
to this expressed Intention
The Primary Elections.
Following this explanation of the
intention of the law follow the pro-
visions regulating nominations. The
bill provides that all nominations for
congressman. members of the legisla-
ture, judge. prosecutor and all state.
county. township. city and town OFF,
ces shall be made at primaries and
applies TO all parts of the state. 1t
also provides for the election of mem
bers of the state. county. township.
city and town central committees of
each party at primaries. The state
central committee shall consist Of one
member from each congressional dis
trict and it shall have power to elect
chairman. vice chairman. treasurer
and such other officers as IL shall
| deem proper, at a meeting to be held
on the third Tuesday in April after
each primary election. at such place
as shall be fixed by the chairman OF
the state committee.
The state committee shall have au-
thority TO call state convention for
the election OF delegates 10 the nation
al convention and to nominate prest-
0entlal electors
Elect Committeemen.
The county central committee shan
consist of one member from each
township in the county. 10 be elected
by the voters of the party. but in any
! township where the vote of a political
party at the last preceding election
for secretary of state exceeded 900
the party shall be entitled to one COM
mitteeman for each 900 votes or frac-
| ton thereof I'm such township. Tho
county committee shall meet on the
| third Tuesday in April. on the call OF
the chairman of the committee and or.
ganize by electing officers.
The township central committee
shall consist of one member for each
voting precinct in the township. but
where there are less than three pre-
cincts in the township the voters at
large shall elect three members who
shall compose the committee This
committee shall meet on the third
Tuesday in April after the primary
and organize by eIecting officers.
The city central committee shan
consist of one member from each v0t-
| ing precinct in the city at each city
primary election. and shall meet on
the first Tuesday In August and or
ganfze and elect officers.
Town central committees sA.u CO..
sist Of five persons to be s,e-1l~. BY
the voters at large in such town NJ
| the primary election for the nomin-
,, alton of candidates for town trustee,