Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-08-27
lanes n. Wallis Tells OF New
Method OF Nominating Can
didateS for Office.
GIVEN A TRIAL ON TUESDAY
Next Week People OF Idaho 60 to the
Polls To- Indicate Choice OF
Nominations.

|
candidates for office, known as the ii
rect primary, has come to stay in Ida
no." declared Commissioner James IL.
Wallis of Idaho when seen at the VIII
son this morning Mr.. Wallis, besides
being the dairy. food and sanitary
! commissioner OF Idaho. is also one Of
| the oldest newspaper men OF that state.
! lie is president Of the Eastern Idaho
| Press club. and also president OF the
| Allied Press clubs Of Idaho. an organ
! ization which embraces the four edi-
torlal associations Of the Gem state. He
/ Is therefore In position 10 judge OF
| the sentiment toward this new law
which = now undergoing its trial test.
Tonight closes the registration under
our direct primary" continued Com
missioner Wallis, "and on Tuesday
next the people go to the polls, as at
the general election, and Will indicate
on their ballots whom they want NOM
mated for office. on entering the poll
ing place they will be handed a ballot
for each political party In the field. No
questions win be asked as to what po-
litical party they belong to. but on
entering their booth they Will select
from among the ballots handed them
the one representing their political
faith, and will forthwith proceed to
mark Il. indicating their choice Of can
didates. They will then fold each OF
the ballots. and going to where the
Judges Of election sit VIII hand them
the one they intend so vote. which VIII
be placed VA the ballot box The others
viii be placed In the waste ballot box
Under our new law an eleCtor must
vote for both first and second choice
II there are more than twice as many
candidates as there are positions, and
they are instructed on the ballot. DO
not vote for the same person for both
first and second choice IL was con-
tended by some Of the very ablest law
yers In Idaho that the provisions OF
our law did not require voter TO eN-
press a first and second choice. and
had n not been for a test case being
taken into the supreme court the early
part Of this month thousands of votes
would have been thrown away. the
supreme court, however, ruled that the
second choice provision Is mandatory
and In constituting this feature OF the
law. said: 1t requires peculiar tenn
pcrament 10 seriously contend that said
provisions are merely directory, TO be
followed or not at the mere whim or
caprice Of the voter. Those ere COM
mands conveyed directly to the voter
by being printed at the top OF each
ballot and he must obey them or his
vote viii not be counted for any can
didate where n second choice vote Is
required to be cast II the legislature
had not intended that candidates
should be nominated by majority vote
& possible. they certainly would not
have Injected into said act the provi-
slons for a second choice vote at all
The intention Of the legislature, which
naturally results or is gathered from
the context Of the act from the coca
sion and necessity Of the law. from the
mischief felt and the remedy in view Is
too clear To b. misunderstood. SAID
provision Of the statute requiring the
voter to vote for both a first and sec
ond choice. where there are more than
two candidates for the same position or
office. Is mandatory and not unreasun-
able OF course a failure To vote Tor
either a first or second choice candi-
date for any one office, where such is
required would not affect or void the
ballot except as to that particular Of
fee. II was contended by the attof-
ncys in the case that to compel voter
TO vote for a second choice, particular
lv when he has no second choice, was
I'm violation of the provisions Of the
constitution Of the state OF Idaho
which guarantees TO every citizen free
and lawful exercise OF tho right OF sur
fragc. The court held, however 70
the contrary
SECOND CHOICE VOTES
In what way are these second choice
votes uscd2''
.The law provides that where there
are more than two candidates Tor the
same office the candidate receiving a
maiorlty of tho FIRST choice votes is
elected as such candidate: but in case
neither of the candidates receives
majority of the first choice votes, then
the second choice votes Of each candi-
date must be added to his first choice
votes. and the one then having 4hc
highest number of both first and sec
und choice votes Is declared elected AS
tho nominee for such office. whether
he has a majority Of the votes cast or
not The clear intention Of the legis-
laturc in enacting this primary cleo
ton law was TO take the matter out
Of the hands ~ party committees and
conventions and place II In the hands
Of tho voter. and secure II possible an
election by majority vote. but u
this could not be done then in order
To- prevent any possibility OF "A failure
on tho part OF tho people themselves To
select r. candidate the law wisely pro-
vldcs the nomination Of that candidate
who has ne largest number Of both
first and second choice votes"
Commissioner Wallis is Of the opinion
that q strong effort win he made when
the Legislature meets In January TO re-
peal this second choice provision. and
allow the candidate receiving the most
votes. whether 4 be majority or not
to go ON the ballot At convention
Of the Allied Press clubs of Idaho held
TN Boise last Monday. resolutions were
adopted To- this end. the newspapers
there represented demanding the re
peal M this provision.
Mr. Wallis expresses the opinion that
Gov. James ~ Brady win he nominal
cd on the Republican ticket to succeed
himself next Tuesday.