Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-09-24
NEW JERSEYS PRIMARY.


od Of nominating party candidates ap-
NV to the plan adopted in the state
Of New Jersey as well as in other
states where this method has been
adopted. But the New Jersey law mas
one provision that removes an evll ap-
parent in the primaries OF other states.
The party lines are drawn tighter anu
the voters are not given free rein az
the primary to vote any ticket they de-
sire. The New Jersey statute mas tnls
provision:
"The voter shall retire to the voting
booth and there prepare his ballot so
as to indicate his choice for the candl-
dates of his party to be there nomin-
ated, or his choice for delegates TO the
nolitical convention of his political
narty. So and then deposit
said ballot in the ballot box OF his
Marty, unless challenged, and II chal-
lenged make oath that he is a member
Of the said political party; that at the
last election for members Of assembly
at which he voted, he voted Tor ma
iority OF the candidates whose names
were printed upon the party ticket OF
said party, and intends to support the
candidates of said party at the ensuing
election, In the case Of any voter vot-
inc for the first time In this state the
norton Of said oath or affirmation IN
reference to previous voting shall be
dispensed with. Any voter who shall
be shown by the primary book, herein
after mentioned, to have voted IN the
ballot box Of one political party at any
urinary election held under this act
Shall not be allowed to vote in the bal
LOT box of any other political party at
the next thereafter succeeding primary
election" Chapter LOT, Laws OF New
Jersey, 1909.
It will be seen, the Des Moines Capt.
tai observes in commenting on this
section, that the New Jersey law con-
templates no such flashlight po-
litical conversions as are rec.
ognized and substantially lnvlt-
ed in the primaries of Iowa
and other states Hence, party men OF
all kinds have some sort of assurance
that the primary will express the will
Of the party, and that the political
enemy is not permitted to ride down
rough shod and reverse that will. The
New Jersey law, it Is added, seems to
he based on the principle that one de-
string to change his political affiliation
should show sufficient interest in the
marty to which he desires to go, to
vote it's ticket at one general election
at least before he undertakes to die
tate the policy of that party.
There has been general dissatisfac-
ton with the results obtained from
the primary election system in Iowa.
The vote polled at the primary has not
been representative Of party strength.
wisconsin legislates to increase the
party vote by requiring that a politi-
cal party to have standing at the gem
eral election should poll at it's own
primary at least 20 per cent Of it's
vote at the last general election. It is
suggested by the Capital that If, in
spite Of the general protests in the
state against the primary, 1t is the will
of the majority of the party that the
primary should be continued in force,
then it should be amended SO as to in
clude the provisions Of the New Jer-
sey bill to prevent voters Of other par
ties from participating, and so as to
include provision similar to that of
Wisconsin's law, except that the per-
centage should be larger.