The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-01-19
SEN CASHEL
HAS ELECTION
REFORM BILLS
Wants to Make Nominations
of Judicial and School Off,
GERS Non-Partisan
PLAN HAS MANY FEATURES
Of OLD CONVENTION SYSTEM
Other Matters of Interest Which Are
Receiving Attention of the Lawmak.
ers at Bismarck-Judicial Districts
Cause Considerable Fight.

Cause Considerable Fight.
Bismarck, n. D., Jan. 19.-Party
conventions for the purpose of NOM
mating candidates for justiceshins
and school Offices, county, district
and state. to participate in a non
partisan election. are proposed by
Senator ]. L. Cashel of Walsh coun-
ty in bill introduced in the upper
house of the state legislative assem-
bly,. The bill that he has presented
on that subject provides that the
judges and school superintendent
should be elected at the primary
election in June but in view Of the
fact that Mr.. Cashel has since learned
that such officials must be named at
the general election in November, he
will very likely withdraw that bill
and substitute another making the
change of dates.
The idea proposed by Mr.. Cashel
is unique. For some time a legisla-
tive committee of the State Bar as
sociation has been engaged in an ef-
fort to hit upon plan of conducting
Ia non-partisan election of judges that
would work out satisfactorily and the
members Of this committee have re-
Gently considered the Cashel bill.
Senator Cashel's plan would make
the plan Of nominating quite plain,
returning as 1t does to the old con-
vention system. Each party would
hold a county convention at which
the candidates for the office of coun-
ty superintendent would be nominat-
ed. District conventions would be held
each four years to nominate candi-
dates for judges of the supreme
court, while state conventions would
be held each two years to nominate
candidates for the Office of state sup
erintendent of public instruction and
for justices of the supreme court. If
the new supreme court term law is
adopted. one justice will be elected
each two years hereafter.
Then with the party conventions
completed would come the non-par-
tisan choice at the polls. An in
dividual ballot would be provided on
which would appear the names Of the
candidates nominated in the party
conventions. but on such ballot no
reference whatever would be made
to their party beliefs.
MIR. Cashel has also introduced a
ill doing away with the square at
the head of the election ballot by
which the entire ticket of a party
may be voted by the single cross.
Another election bill fathered by
the Walsh county man amends GER
tain sections of the primary election
law. making it fit. in with his bill
covering the non-partisan election of
school officers and judges by elimin-
ating them from the provisions of the
primary law. The bill also does away
with the percentage fee for filing, es-
tablishing a uniform fee of IS for
recording petitions Of candidates for
state offices: So for candidates for
the state senate; 50 for candidates
for house of representatives., with a
fee of SIS for candidates for school
and district offices except in the case
of county commissioners. assessors
and surveyor, where fee of So is
provided, and for county constables
and justices of the peace fee of
only 81 is required.
Trouble In Fifth.
Members of the assembly from the
counties embracing the Fifth judicial
district are having a difficult time
making a peaceable adjustment of a
plan of division. One meeting of the
delegation was held this week at
which the situation was thoroughly
discussed but no conclusion was
reached. The difference of opinion
as to the plan of division is quite
marked and 1t is not believed that
any conclusion will be reached for a
number of days yet.
The Tenth district members have
not reached any agreement either but
they expect to get together shortly.
From the northwestern section of
the state where an effort is being
made to create the Eleventh district
out of Williams, Mountrail and Nc
Kenzie counties. no little work is be-
ing done. Frank Fisk. looked upon
as probable judgeship candidate In
the event the division is made, has
arrived in Bismarck and is helping
the division plan along.
A telephone bill that may meet
with no little opposition was intro
duced in the senate by Mr.. Pierce of
Ransom county. 1t provides for an
cACAdu6o VI Ccl SACc OclWScu ali Icio.
phone and telegraph companies op-
Grating in the state. and also gives
the state railroad commission the
power Of fixing rates, which rates
should not be higher than will re-
turn to the companies a profit Of
over eight per cent per annum.
In cities 1t is provided that where
there are two telephone companies
that those companies must exchange
service. That is, a party calling in