Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-07-07
PRIMARY ELECTION EXPENSES.
They Should Be Paid BY the State In
stead Of by individuals

stead OF by individuals
In his inaugural address Governor
Hoke Smith of Georgia recommends
the payment Of primary election man.
ayers by the state instead Of by the
candidates. We are not familiar with
the system that Governor Smith pro-
poses to change In Georgia but pre-
sumo 1t is similar to our system in
this state, where the managers Of the
primary elections are paid by the par
ty ou, Of a fund raised by assess
ments on the candidates as entrance
fees. 1t is this system which we have
recently been urging should be chang
ed in South Carolina.
The state should pay the expenses
Of primary elections, as 1t does Of the
general elections. In that way the
primary would be open to the man of
average financial ability, as well as to
the rich man. Under the present sys-
tenn the rich man has every advan-
tage; the higher the assessment the
more advantage he has, and as the
expenses Of conducting the elections
increase his advantage increases.
Some have asked US how we would
regulate the matter Of paying the
expenses Of candidates by the state,
and the question is based upon a mis-
apprehension of the proposition. II
is not contended that the state should
pay candidates expenses in the pri-
mary campaign, no matter how large
they might be, but on the contrary It
is intended that these expenses and
these expenditures shall be limited TO
reasonable amount. The most per-
feet primary system Is that in force
in Oregon, and Senator Bourne, now
coming up for reelection, proposes to
submit his candidacy to the voters
without the expenditure Of one cent,
without making any speeches or with
out distributing any literature except
as provided for by the state law. Yet
Bourne is very wealthy man. 1t is
interesting to note the provisions of
the Oregon law.
In the first place, this law provides
that the secretary of state shall issue
publicity pamphlet in which each
candidate Is permitted to use not to
exceed four pages In setting forth the
principles for which he stands and
the reasons why he should be nomi-
mated. His opponents may occupy a
like number of pages In opposition to
him, but must sign their names to
their arguments and be responsible
under the libel laws Of the state. Can
didates are required to pay from $40
to 500 a page for this space, the
amount varying with the Importance
Of the Office. A copy Of this pamph-
let must be mailed to every register
ed voter not less than eight days prior
to election. In practice, the secretary
Of state mails the pamphlet to the vo-
ter as soon as he registers.
This law provides ample opportun-
ity for every candidate to present his
claims before the voters Of his cleo
ton district at a cost which will not
bar any aspirant. 1t practically COM
pels the candidate to go on record ex-
pressly as to his principles and poll
cies and prevents his basing his cam
paign on local prejudices. Since the
same pamphlet goes to every section
Of the state 1t is impossible for can
didate to make one appeal to the vo-
ter in the city and another appeal to
the voter in the country.
Under this law a candidate for the
nomination for senator can, Senator
Bourne says state his cause fully to
all the voters Of the state at a cost OF
$400. In the general election cam
paign, the secretary Of state issues an
other pamphlet, distributed In like
manner, In which each party may oc-
cupy not to exceed twenty-four pages,
at $50 per page and each candidate,
four pages at 800 per page. Aside
from the amount expended for space
In the publicity pamphlet, the Oregon
law limits every candidate to an ex-
penditure Of fifteen per cent OF one
years salary In the primary campaign
and ten per cent Of one years salary
in the general election campaign, pro-
vided that no candidate shall be limit
ed to less than 500.
Every candidate must file sworn
itemized statement Of campaign ex-
pendltures within fifteen days after
election. A similar sworn statement
must be filed within the same time by
every person who expended or con-
tributed $50 or more In support OF or
In opposition to any candidate. This
last provision Is eminently wise, but
the sworn statements. both by the
candidate and his supporters should
be filed prior to the election, as Is re-
quired by your law In South Carolina
now So far as they go, our laws
regulating the primaries are excellent
but they do not go far enough.-Co-
lumbia Record.