Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-08-10
PRIMARY BALLOT QUESTION.

PRIMARY BALLOT QUESTION.
Following the experience in Iowa OF
year ago, which seemed to indicate
that the candidate for a given nomina-
tion whose name appeared first on the
primary ballot had an undue advantage
over his competitors, a demand sprang
up for modification of the plan
whereby names were placed on the
ballot in straight alphabetical order.
Needing this demand, the legislature
last winter enacted a law providing for
rotation of names.
1dentica1y the same course of events
has marked the primary experiment in
Nebraska. They had the same COM
plant over there against the alphabet
lcal arrangement, the same demand for
q change, and got the same change
Now, ten months before Iowa has oc-
casion to test the new scheme, we are
permitted to look on and see how 1t
works in Nebraska. Notwithstanding
The law is plain and the secretary of
state at Lincoln has sent out letters
Of instruction with his sample ballots.
that official Is having all kinds of
trouble with the county clerks over the
&rinting Of the ballots. Some of the
clerks have paid no attention to the
basis of rotation as fixed by the 1egis-
1ature. but have divined the number of
ballots by the number of candidates.
and placed each name at the top of the
ballot as many times as the figure
-sks-1A BY the division. The law pro-
Fides, as Interpreted at Lincoln. that
Sohn smiths name shah be at the top
of the list of candidates for the Office
de seeks in precinct No. /; John Jones
name at the top in precinct No. 2. and
so on. Should there he sixteen nre-
cancts in the county. every candidate
Tor supreme Judge on the republican
ticket win have his name at the head
OF the ballot in two precincts in that
county. 1t will frequently happen that
one candidate may have his name at
the top of the ballot in three precincts
while the other candidates will be at
the top in only two precincts, but the
Raw Is plain in Nebraska, as is also
the law in Iowa
No doubt when the time comes the
same difficulty will be experienced in
iowa. A careful reading of the Statute
ought to make its meaning clear to any
Intelligent mind. but it always is hard
to secure prompt and uniform admin
dstration Of statutes involving details
pf clerical work at the hands OF an
army Of widely scattered officials. In
the end. however. the new arrange
ment will prove satisfactory i'm
provement over the old.
At another point, Nebra ska and Iowa
do not keep company. Nebraska will
this year have but one ballot. The
tickets of all parties vial he on this
ballot. The voter will not have to
declare his party allegiance. He will
The at liberty TO vote in the primary OF
ANY party whose ticket is on the ballot.
regardless of everything but his own
conscience and sense Of decency and
1aonor; but he can not vote a mixed
ticket. All mixed tickets will be thrown
out as invalid. The nearest approach
10 valid mixed voting will be where
the voter onits to vote for anyone
for one or more nominations and adj
heres to the one party so far as he
does vote.
Iowa will at least make further ex-
pertinent with the plan of separate
ballots for the different parties. The
new Nebraska plan is founded on
sophistry and throws the door wide
open for corruption. The talk about
Invasion OF private rights when the
voter is asked to declare his party al
legiance when he appears to take part
in party deliberations and party action
is all rot.