Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-09
DIRECT PRIMARY
ACT EXPLAINED
TO LABOR MEN
T. D. FENNESSY READS PAPER
BEFORE COUNCIL
PRAISES NEW SYSTEM USED IN
LOS ANGELES
Tells of Advantages of Method En-
ployed in Oregon for Selection
of United States
Senators


Advantage of the Direct Primary 20
the Working Class" was read by T. d.
Fennessy. The delegates to the council
were greatly interested in the paper
and voiced their approval by frequent
applause.
The council is composed of delegates
from all affiliated unions, and is TAX
- ing a decided interest in all measures
which have for their object good gov
ernment and the betterment of Los
Angeles.
"By an overwhelming majority the
voters of California last November eX-
pressed themselves in favor of direct
primary" said Mr.. Fennessy. Ihey
had grown tired of the boss controlled
convention and wanted a chance to do
their own nominating. The vote of
100000 majority in favor of the consti-
tutional amendment showed how gem
eral was the sentiment for a system OF
direct nomination.
when the legislature met it set
about to give the people what they
. had asked for In a measure it succeed
ed; but in many particulars the law is
defective--due to the zeal of the party
leaders to make the direct primary as
unworkable as possible.
Step In Right Direction
'"The direct primary law that was
finally enacted is not what we would
have written If it had been left to us.
but it is long step in the right direc-
tion. What we got was wrung from
a reluctant legislature. What defects
there are will be remedied by men
chosen under the system of direct nom
ination.
"Under the provisions of the law as
it stands any person desiring to become
a candidate for office has a petition
drawn up announcing the office to
which he aspires and the party with
which he is affiliated.
"This petition, then is circulated for
signatures, and when enough names
have been signed thereto the petition
is filed with the proper officials and
the candidates name goes upon the
ballot of the party with which he is af-
filiated.
1.-THE number of names required to
be signed to a petition varies with the
Office sought
"If the office sought is a state office,
for instance, the petition must be cir
culated in at least ten counties; and at
least l per cent and not more than 10
per cent of the party vote in each of
the ten counties must be obtained on
the petition.
"If for a county office the petition
fourth of the precincts in the county,
and the petition must bear the names
of at least per cent and not more
than 10 per cent of the party vote
in each of these precincts.
Danger of Fraud Small
"All nominations must be made in
this manner.
"The primary election is held on the
third Tuesday in August. Each party
has its own separate ballot, but all
parties have the same polling place and
the same election officers. In fact, all
the laws that govern a general election
apply to the primary election, so there
is little danger of fraud.
Upon entering the election booth
the voter asks for the ballot of the
party with which he is affiliated His
affiliation is attested, of course, by the
official records, as under the Devlin
law all voters are required to state
their party affiliation at the time of
registration.
"If the voter has registered as a
member of the Union Labor party he
asks for the ballot of that party. Upon
entering the voting place and unfolding
his ballot he will find the names of cam
didates arranged alphabetically under
each office. 1t is important that he
hold this point in mind: Every name
on his ballot is member of his party
and he is voting for the person whom
he wants to be the nominee of his
party at the general election to be held
in November.
After he has stamped a cross after
the candidates of his choice he folds
his ballot and hands it to the election
officials. just as at a regular election.
california's Law Superior
'The candidate who receives the
greatest number of votes for each par
ticular office is declared the party nom
inee for that office.
Ills name then goes upon the ballot
In the party column, to be voted upon
in November. In other words, he be-
comes the party nominee.
"As far as the law applies to state
offices and county offices, California; 8
direct primary is perhaps the peer of
any state in the Union But 1t is yery
effective as regards the United States
senator.
"The machine politicians in the last
legislature tried to eliminate all refer
ence to the United States senatorship
but they met with defeat. A compro-
mise was adopted which gives the peo-
pie at least chance to- do their own
selecting.
"Under the compromise the names of
all candidates for United States sena-
tor go upon the primary ballot, Just as
other candidates. Whover is the choice
of majority of the legislative districts
will perhaps be declared the party NOM
inee. But as candidates for the lesis-
lature are privileged to consider them
selves bound either by the choice of the
majority of the districts or by their
immediate districts only, it is appar-
ent that there is plenty of opportunity
for playing politics.
What the people should demand is
the Oregon system of choosing senators.
Under the present system there is little
likelihood that the workingmen. as a
party, will ever have any influence on
the United States senatorship.
Explains Oregon System
'Under the oregon system, all par
ties make their nominations for federal
senator at the regular primary cleo
tioR, and then all the party nominees
are submitted to the vote of all the
people at the general election in No
Vember in the same manner that the
governor or other state officer is chosen
1t becomes obligatory for the legisla-
ture to name as United States senator
whoever received the largest vote of
the people at the general election.
another vital defect is the provision
which prevents person being the can
didate of more than one party. There
is no reason why a man-say judge
who has given satisfaction to all par
ties, should not be indorsed by the
voters of all parties. The politicians