Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-01-02
law
AS SUGGESTED
In Senate Bill at Last Legislature
is Arrestina Public
Attention.

ling widely discussed Ia this state and
has heen declared for so FAR as Ger
tain officers are concerned by the
republican party. the leading fea-
lures az Senate bill No. l44. which
Vas before the last session Of the leg
|islatnre are given.
"a County executive committees
Iand State executive committees ehos.
en- by direct vote OF their respective
parties
CD BY DOING away with delegate
conventions 1t does away with the
power OF committees to say who shall
DO delegates; II limits their duties to
getting their party's nominees elected
after the party has nominated them
(s) 1t places the making Of nom
nations with those members OF the
Irrespective parties who do the voting
in November.
ca Simultaneous primaries of all
parties.
90 Each party required to have
separate ballots, separate ballot
boxes and separate election officers
iof the corresponding party, but bal
lots to be cast and counted in the
presence OF the officers OF the oppo
site party.
co Holding of primaries at regu
lar voting places. only those being 81
lowed to vote who are registered and
reside IN the precinct where they ap
ply to vote.
ca Allows the unlcaown foate1
and nonresident IN cities no raors
votes than we'll known and lie
long resident aid saxrnyes. InntaA'
OF seven times as many one week a
republican primary or convention
and the next week seven times a
many again at democratic primar,
or convention, as Is now often thu
case. s~x rtts
(S) The voter required to 60 onc'
to his regular voting place Instead o
travelling across the county AID
part Of the state to four or five OF
possibly thirteen conventions.
(9) Primary on a definite and fix
ed day, the time, place and business
of which can be known and kept IN
mind By the busiest citizen.
(10j BY having all nominations
for all forces by all parties through
out the state made on a definite day
and at definite places fixed by law,
1t concentrates public attention on
the time when, place, where, and
party business is to be transacted.
I'D Nominating petitions to be
signed by one-half OF one per cent.
OF the party; In the county OF 5000
members Of a party, only twenty-five
names.
f12) Small, fixed and definite fees
for candidates.; no chance for "long
purse" candidates to have committee
assessments made so high as to drive
out all other competitors.
(13) Small expense for conduct
ing primaries for all parties; rednct-
ion in the cost of making nominal
tions by rs per cent.
(14) Makes campaigns for nomin-
ations less expensive to candidates.
IT forbids the large expenditure Of
money by making a nomination by
one who has spent in the campaign
for nomination more than the maxi
mum provided In the bill forfeited to
the one receiving the next highest
vote, and who has confined his ex-
penditures within the limit fixed for
that class. It substitutes one cam
paign for four or more campaigns
before, at and after mass convex
tions and delegate conventions. as at
present necessary.
(15) Simplicity and compactness
of method. Although the process Of
selecting the best nominees OF both
parties from among the large mum
Der OF the electorate is much more
important and difficult task than that
OF merely selecting las at regular
elections) between two OF three nom
inees for the same Office, yet senate
bill. ia covers this ground in only IS
sections. The existing law govern