The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-03-03
FRAME THE MEASURE
FOR DIRECT PRIMARY
BILL PREPARED CLOSELY FOL
LOWS WISCONSIN LAW.
Cuts Out the OldlStyle State Con-
vention: Candidates Draft the
Platform: Twenty Per Cent
Vote Feature; When the Nomi.
nees Shall Meet to Name Gen.
trial Committee; Other Phases.

ST. Paul, March Members of
the senate elections committee have
agreed upon the bill which will be
reported to the senate as Substi-
tute for all the bills in its hands, en-
tending the direct primary law to
state officers. 1t will be introduced
as committee measure this week.
The bill cuts out the old style
state convention and substitutes the
Wisconsin plan of a convention OF
candidates to draw up platform.
No mention is made of the office of
United States senator, as that will
be covered in d separate bill. SUI
preme court and district judges also
are excepted and will be taken
care of in nOn-partizan judicial
bill to be sent in later.
State Officers BY Direct Primary.
All other state officers are to be
nominated at the direct primary,
which is to be held as now, seven
weeks before the general election.
Candidates for state office may get
OF the ballot by filing an affidavit,
as now, and paying the $40 fee. The
bill includes a new feature. which
is borrowed from the progressive re-
publican bill introduced by Senator
G. J. Gunderson. This is designed
TO allow the office to seek the man.
Voters are allowed to file petitions
tn hnpnmn a n.
didatc, accompanied with a 20C-wOrd
statement of his qualifications and,
if the person named agrees to run,
his acceptance is attached to the pc
titiOn. and he may also file a zoe
word statement Of his principles.
except for congressional and state
candidates, which require 500.
Requires Poll of 20 Per Cent.
Another new feature applying to
all candidates is one requiring 20
per cent of the vote cast for any
political party at the previous cleo.
tiCn to be cast for candidates for
nomination in the primary. If this
percentage is polled. the highest
man goes on the ballot with the
party name, but otherwise he must
run without party designation. Va
caucies are to be filled by party
committees. but where they do not
exist. the man standing next highest
i'll the primary will be placed on the
ballot.
The bill contains provisions doing
away with the use of Stickers, but
providing expressly for writing
names in the ballot. This same cleo
tons committee passed on the le
Sality OF stickers in the Stephens
Saugstad contest, but was convinced
that the practice is dangerous and
ought to be prevented by law. II
has added to section 1876 of the code
Il provision allowing blank spaces
for writing names at primary cleo
tions.
What Blanks Are Like.
Squares shall be placed at the
right of the blank lines" says the
amendment, "and on such lines the
voter may write the names of per
sons for whom he desires to vote a
such primary election, whose names
are not printed on said ballot, ant
in the squares opposite the names
so written he may make proper
marks TO indicate his preferences
as i'll the case of the printed names
This is carried out also in sec
ton 1913, which is amended to in
clUde the following in the genera
provisions of the law
ANY voter may write the name.
of persons for whom he desires t.
vote, whose names are not printed
aud in the squares opposite TIN,
same may make marks as in tn,
case of printed names"
The bill provides for keeping
full poll list in each precinct, an,
Continued on Page Six.