Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-09-27
PRESCOTT MEN
MAKE PROTEST.
Form of the Direct Pri-
mary Petitions is Dis
tasteful to many of the
Voters of the Neighbor-
ing County.
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PRESCOTT. sept 20 CSpeciaD
Citizens here have made strong
protest against ii number of di-
rect primary petitions now be
ing circulated Signers claim that
many friends are presenting petitions
which they must either sign or offend
the candidate presenting them
1t often happens that the signers are
aware that a more able candidate in
tends To enter the field and by sign
ing the first petition presented they are
forced To vote for the candidate there
in mentioned while they may actually
prefer to vote for candidate who will
bc on the ticket but who has not yet
had an opportunity 10 present his pc
tition.
The Official form of petition says
land I further declare that I have not
signed and viii not sign any petition
or nomination papers for any other
person for said office at the next en-
suing election. and hereby declare that
/ intend t. support the candidate above
named for the office herein mentioned"
II it said at the direct primary" is
would change the whole thing but in
=.
herein mentioned.
on the back of the petition the seal
and signature OF a notary public APP
pears. The notary attests that the
above named nominee knows that the
signers are electors in the given pre-
cinct that they realize the purpose Of
the petition. that they signed on the
date given and that affiant intends To
support the candidate therein named.
The purpose of the Australian ballot
Is to give to each voter the right to
vote according to his own feeling in
the matter without let or hindrance
and with absolute secrecy. BY signing
the direct primary petition this voter
agrees to vote for a given candidate
and even goes further: he makes con-
tract by signing the petition worded as
il is-because if he does not vote for
the candidate whose petition he signed
he is committing perjury
II one SiEner chances TO sign a pc
tition for every office, and the &C
tiVity being shown by TIE candidates
in the field here at the present time
leads one 10 believe that this is by no
means a wild theory, and the candi-
dates whose petitions he signed are
nominated for the office that signer
viii 90 10 the polls with a list of men
for whom he must vote regardless of
the fact that developments during the
campaign may have caused him to suf-
fer an absolute change Of opinion In
other words he is forced to vote for
man whom he may know to be abso-
lutely untitled for the office 10 which
he aspires. According u the wording
Of the petition the voter does not even
have the right TO refuse to vote be
cause he has signed his name to "A
paper wherein ii is stated that he in
tends" to support this candidate.
Although no election has as yet been
held under the direct primary law it
can be seen that the people are already
tired Of a law which forces them to
declare their affiliations and causes
them to sign numerous petitions rather
than offend the candidate presenting
the petition. The value of the Aus
tralian ballot is gone under the new
law \ man must declare how he will
vote a month before the holding of the
election.