The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-30
PEOPLE WILL ACT
 |NFVE STATES Vote Next Spring on Presi- dential Delegates
THE NEW OREGON LAW
Senator Bourne Thinks the Result in These Five States Will Determine Who Presidential Nomi-
 nees Shall Be
By RopERIcK CLIFFORD

Washington, July 9-(Special )-Grow- ing out of the progressive republican movement presidential primary elections will be held in five states next spring ana test of a -the-people' govern ment will be made. In these elections del- egates to national conventions, which ire to. nominate men for president and vice president will be elected and instructed for whom they are to vote in convention by a popular preferential system. These will be the first presidential primaries ever held in the United States.
 Four of these states followed the lead of Oregon, the pioneer in the field. The five states which will hold these elections and the dates of the elections follow: North Dakota, March 1s: Wisconsin, April 1 ?; Nebraska, April IT. oregon, April 19; New Jersey, May 2s.
 Scattered as these states are and of variety of political faiths, it is main tained among both republican and dem ocratic advocates of a popular form of government that the primary election re- suits in these states will indicate what the final result of the 1912 presidential campaign will be- The man who is polnt- ed to as the originator of the oregon plan and who is an enthusiast on she subject of preferential presidential elections, Sen- ator Bourne, declares that the selection of convention delegates in North Dakota, Wisconsin. Nebraska. Oregon and New Jersey, will actually determine who the next President and Vice President of the United States will be.
 But there is a log in the road, say some skeptical politicians. It is being sugsest- ed that there is danger of the convention I delegates from these states having the convention hall doors slammed in their faces. The supporters of the reform measures scoff at this idea. and are will | ing to wager that no machine. dominating national convention will dare tc refuse | to recognize and seat delegates elected under popular and preferential system l With the odds favoring the seating of the populsrly elected delegates the out come of the primaries in these states named undoubtedly will be watched with the greatest interest. The last of these preferential elections will be held in May the New Jersey election, just before the national campaign will be in flll blast They will begin in March, in North Da- kota, and last through until the end of May, and as the pulse of the people in the five states is read slowly through period l of two and a half months the stock or different presidential aspirants IS likely to rise or fall as the elections indicate In June 1t is expected the two most import ant national conventions will be held
 There is one important condition in the Oregon system which makes it uncertain that delegates from a particular state, say Nebraska will carry out the instruc- tions of the greater number of individuai electors residing in that state. It is this: In the event it shall be determined be- yond doubt in national convention that a delegation will be throwing away it's voting power fin carrying out the direc- tions of the state voters, then the dele gates may vote otherwise. The obligation to represent the will of the people of Ne braska Is moral one, not legal one.
 The Oregon law, adopted by the people of that state in 1910 provides that in general election years the qualified cleo tors shall be given the opportunity to ex- press their choice for President and Vice President, and the ballots shall be cast. counted and canvassed in the same way that state officers are elected. The names lof the candidates Of the various political parties shall appear on the party nomi-
 
 last elective precinct officer The final re- suit of the election shall be officially cer- tified to the convention delegates who have at the same time been elected
 It is the right of each voter in the primary election to vote for one candidate for national convention delegate Tn his party, for the nomination in turn of the presidential elector. The names of aspir ants for the office of national convention hala afa ahalI l,a ing ballot by petition of a certain per cent of the party vote at the election next preceding in the state for members of Congress, or the signatures of 2 certain number of party voters The travelling expenses are to be paid by the state for each convention delegate for actual at tendance upon the convention if such ex- penses do not exceed a stated amount per delegate. An oath of office to uphold the oonstitution and laws of the United lStates and of the state is provided in the presidential preference law. It is also sworn by the delegate that he will, to the best of his ability and judgment, follow the will of his district.
 The privilege is granted each aspira n, for the office of delegate whose name is placed on the nominating ballot, to use four pages in his party's campaign book setting forth his plea for election as del egate. Each person nominated for Pres ldent or Vice President shall be accorded four pages of space in his partys state campaign book, under the Oregon law free of charge. Other candidates who are voted for by the electors of the state at large shall be charged s100 for this cam paign book privilege. and this amount shall not be counted in the 10 per cent of one years salary that the candidate is allowed to spend in his campaign