Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-11


Just as the purest nugget of gold
is often found In the least promising
surroundings, so the finest gem In the
output Of Nebrasks's late demo-pop
legislature has been almost covered
up amidst the dry and tiresome verbi-
age Of the new primary law.
To appreciate this artistic piece Of
literary workmanship more fully some
knowledge of It's origin will be useful.
vRIen the primary law was first put
on our statute books It aimed to pre-
vent members of n political party
from having an %unbidden voice in the
nomination of candidates Of other po-
litical parties and to safeguard against
lightning changes, each voter asking
for a primary ballot was required to
state with what political party he
wished to a~filiate and to confne his
participation to the nomination OF the
candidates of that particular party.
Were there any question as to the fact
of party afiIiation his vote could be
challenged and he could be required
to make his declaration under oath.
A notorious democrat, for example,
trying to vote the republican ticket
could be put to this test, and unless he
were willing to take oath that he was
afiliating with the republican party,
he would be refused ar opportunity
to help nominate republican candi-
dates.
Nebraska's new primary law COM
pletely changes this method Of nom
ination by permitting each voter to
participate in the primary of any po-
lltical party and vote the ticket of any
party he pleases. To protect him in
his divine right to change his political
coat as often as he pleases, he Is to
have a ballot given to him containing
the tickets of all political parties, and
be permitted to vote any n Of them
without divulging with which party
he prefers to affiliate. But when our
distinguished demo-pop lawmakers
came to patch up this part of the law,
here was the test oath staring
them in the face, which. of course,
must likewise be amended. Me-
braska's new primary law, therefore,
provides that II a voter, who is privi-
legged to vote any ticket he pleases, be
challenged as to what party he be-
longs to. he must go through this per-
Torrance:
Question-Do you intend TO support the
candidates of the party at the next election
that you support in this primary election?
And II the challenge be not then
determined in his favor he must sub
NIT to this postscript:
You do solemnly swear that you are q
citizen Of the United States; tina you have
been an inhabitant of the state OF Nebraska
for the last six months, Of the county for
the last forty days, OF this precinct for the
last ten days, and that you have attained
the age of twenty-one years, to the best OF
your knowledge, and that you intend ia
support the same candidates, or the ma.
Jortty Of them, at the next election, that
you support at this electionR
Does any one know of an otherwise
qualified voter who could be barred
from participating in a primary cleo
ton upon such a challenge or how he
could be held for false swearing, no
matter what answer he might maker
but the beauty of this elastic test oath
Is that the voter may change his In
%tention between the time he receives
his ballot and the time he marks II
without committing perjury, although
already sworn. And II II should hap
pen that all the candidates for whom
he votes in the primaries should fail
to be nominated, making It impossible
for him to pursue his intention to vote
for them at the election, he may still
~disfranchise himself II he has any
qualms Of conscience.