The Republican journal., 1911-11-02
The New Primary Law.
This Article Answers Many Questions
Which You Will be Asking, if You Have
Not Already-Paste it in Your Hat


Political practices in the State of
Maine are to be entirely changed by the
s3option of the Davies Direct Primary
7 sw. Under the new regime there will
~ no conventions for nominating candi-
..es for Governor or for State officers,
~ for county officers, or for senators or
~smbers of the State Legislature. There
sill be conventions for the election of
o5litical committees, and for the adop-
-or Of declaration of principles. These
.a9yentions will be made up as conven-
IONS have been under the old system,
ut the delegates will have no power to
re people themselves.
Much uncertainty exists in the minds
tie people as to the exact scope of
.-- Davies Law which was adopted and
-sse law of the State on September
.,a. 1t does not change the system of
arInatons in municipal affairs. The
-svor, aldermen of cities and selectmen
towns will be chosen exactly as they
die been in years past The machinery
ire new bill as it will be operated is
~. specially complicated, and without
E. lJ- the people will easily accustom
selves to the change. If man de-
10 be a candidate for United States
-~stOr, for Governor of the State, or
State auditor, he must procure pc
goa, signed by persons representing
IS than one per cent. and not more
. TWO per cent of the entire vote cast
Governor in the last preceding cleo
-. and he must file this petition with a
1nolopi,,or
rs TO be voters in the State, with the
-ary OF State.
/. { wants TO be his party candidate
Ongress, he must have not less than
-o= or more than two per cent of the
cast for Governor In his Congress
al district at the last election. If he
-aa-s to be candidate for State Senator,
a1didate for county office, be must
petition containing the same per-
-,-age of voters of the county in
arcn he lives. If he desires to be a
date for representative to the Legis-
s...e, he must go through the same
9.ailty, presenting the request from
east one per cent of the voters of his
-s,r4sentative district.
CAMPAIGNS START EARLIER.
uader the new system, political cam
gDs will have to start much earlier
sn has been the case in past years. A
.aa TO be candidate for representative
he Legislature or for any office pro-
ID for by this law, must have his nom
lion papers filed with the secretary of
safe not later than the first Monday of
Nay, Of said year. The caucuses of
primary election candidates are to be
.- on the third Monday in June Of each
..sr in which an election is to take place,
nat the third Monday in June will be-
lns as interesting and historic a date,
II political calendar as the second
lay of September has been in past
as.
Iais new law applies to the election to
.. held next year, so persons who are
ing of running for office must be
ing ready to do their work They
not have their petitions signed any
re the first day of January, 1912,
hey must get them completed be-
The first Monday in May. These
EIsions apply to all parties which had
per cent OF the entire vote for Gov
cast for their candidate in the last
-l5a.
Ire proceedings on caucus day, which
be the third Monday of June, will
ateresting, and at first will seem
f., odd in our State. In the first place
polls at these caucuses are to b.
from noon OF this third Monday in
until 9 at night, except in towns Of
1 Inhabitants or less, the polls may
9-r at at night.
] ne new primary law provides an alb
lite remedy for one of the crying evils
zen have existed under the old system
caucuses. Under its operation it
aid be absolutely impossible for per
S to vote for candidates of both
ties.
ne Davies primary law provides for
net enrolment OF the voters in the
ges and large towns, according to their
..rlcal affiliations, and this enrolment
-5t reach the Wardens III the cities and
IT, selectmen in the towns through the
i.ire of the city or town clerk. A man
lay not be enrolled in both parties, and
{ he should be so enrolled, when he
7ehed the polling place, he can have
out one ballot, and that the one of the
arty which he declares himself to be-
org. In practice, probably, it will be
Iecpssary for men to declare to the bal
clerks their political affiliations.
v men the voter receives his ballot
,atalning the names of the candidates
Il the party in which he is enrolled or to
winch he declares himself to belong, he
@ 90 to the voting booth and mark
ross in the square opposite the names
y the men whom he wishes to be his
.arty candidates, and will deposit his
Ja.ot, which is an official ballot provided
By the State, exactly as he does at the
,-gular elections in September. These
5aiIots will be counted and returns made,
much the same as is done in regular
State elections, and the persons having
The largest number of votes for given
POSITION in given district, will become
Tie candidate of his party for that posi-
ton. His name will 60 on the official
ballot to be used in September.
IN CASE OF TIE.
The Davies bill provides for settlement
IN the case of tie, by ballot. This is
rather curious provision of the law. If
It should happen, for example, that two
men of the same party received exactly
Inc same number of votes in the pri-
mary, and these are the highest votes
received for that office, the two men will
be summoned to the august presence of
The secretary of State at Augusta, and
there draw lots to see who shall be the
party candidate. This may happen, of
curse, although it is not likely to happen
otten.
The general impression has prevailed
that the adoption of the new primary law
would have the effect to debar from as
pration for public office men who are not