Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-18
PRIMARY BILL IS IN SEES RUIN IN BILL
Cummins Introduces Pres- Traction Official Attacks Gen.
dental Nomination Measure era| Transfer Idea
WOULD BAN CONVENTIONS BEFORE HOUSE COMMITTEE
Select Candidates c. King Supported
Also Dealt Blow. Georgetown Resident.
PROPOSED LAWS PROVISIONS CITIZENS SIDE NOT HEARD
in
his Year Would to Be Made Next
Be Illegal
BAN CONVENTIONS
Party Caucuses to Select Candidates
Also Dealt Blow.
PROPOSED LAWS PROVISIONS
If Passed Soon, National Meetings
This Year Would
Be Illegal.

\ bill for nationwide primary Tor the
nomination of President and Vice Pres
ident and of electors for President and
Vice President was introduced today by
Senator Cummins of Iowa. 1t would make
ii unlawful for any one to participate IN
any caucus or convention looking to the
nominations for these offices.
1t is proposed that the bill shall take ef-
feet in time for the presidential nomina-
tions of this year. and, if promptly pass
ed, would make unlawful the holding of
the republican national convention in
Chicago and the democratic national con-
vention in Baltimore next June.
Provisions of Bill.
The nominating primaries, it is pro-
vided, are to be held the second Monday
in July, 1912, and upon the second Mon
day in July every four years thereafter.
For a person to have his name printed on
the ballot he must be nominated at least
forty-five days prior to the holding of the
primary. To be nominated for President
or Vice President a person must have
nomination papers signed by at least
one-half of 1 per cent of the voters of
the party (as shown by the returns of the
last general election) in each of at least
one-fourth of l per cent of the total vote
of the party.
To be nominated for eiector the nonina-
tion papers must be signed by at least
one-half of 1 per cent of the voters of
the party in each of at least one-tenth
of the counties of the state, and, in the
aggregate. not less than one-fourth of /
per cent of the total vote of the party
in the state for which the electors are to
be chosen.
Return of Ballots.
Within twenty-four hours after the
nominating primaries, the second Monday
in July, the ballots are TO be counted, and
the results, with the ballots, are to be
forwarded TO state canvassing and re-
turning boards of the respective states
The state boards are to meet. sepa-
rateiy at the seat of government Of each
state to canvass the returns the second
Wednesday following the primaries and
make returns to a national canvassing
board for primary elections.
The national board is to meet the first
Monday of August and canvass the re-
turns. The candidates of each political
party for President and for Vice Presi-
dent who have received the highest num-
ber of votes in the United States are to
be the legally named candidates of their
respective parties for those two Offices.
And the same is to govern nominations
for electors.
Action on Contests.
Contests are to be decided by the
state canvassing boards. In that particu-
lar the bill provides:
THE state board in making its can
yass. shall canvass only the certified re-
turns made by the several judges and
clerks of election, but If any candidate
whose name appears upon the primary
ballot shall file with the state board a
statement under oath that fraud was COM
mitted or error or mistake made in count
ing or returning the votes cast at any
polling place as to the Office for which
he was candidate in such specific terms
that 1t furnishes reasonable ground to
believe that a recount of the ballots
would produce different result as to his
candidacy, the said state board shall
thereupon recount the ballots cast at any
such polling place for the Office for which
the contestant was a candidate, and If
the result reached by the board on the
recount of the ballots as to such office
be different from that returned by the
judges and clerks Of said election it shall
be substituted therefor as the true and
correct return and SO regarded in all
subsequent proceedings.
The action of the board shall be final
and no other contest Of any kind shall
be permitted