The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-04-22
Press Comment

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tons that are raised against the reg
~istration Of voters by party for the
primary election are almost inconpre-
hensible. Cine would suppose from a
reading OF some Of the exchanges, that
some u~nheard-of practice had been
adopted when persons were required
to keep within their own party lines
in matters pertaining strictly to the
party.
The members of the Presbyterian
church are equally interested In the
religious work OF the community with
the members OF all other churches.
Yet they do not expect to aid in the
election of officers for the Methodist
or Baptist churches. The officers Of
he Masonic order are chosen by Ma
sons, and not by Odd Fellows or Elks,
each OF which f~raternities
its " affairs according to It's own
rules. And, Tor the same a it is
reasonable that republican, should
select the candidates Of the republic
can party, democrats the candidates
Of the democratic party, and so on.
The only difference between the pres
ent registration system-in principle
land other customs that have pre-
vailed is that in the present law an
effort is made to prevent, In a legal
manner, the crossing Of political lines
for the purpose of affecting the choice
OF the opposite party, whereas, neith-
er under u primary election sys-
TENS as we have them, nor under the
convention rNycfors1 q = a. Fov1ao a~Ixy n.y.
listed here, and as it still exists else
where, has there been adopted any
effective plan for the prevention Of
this indiscriminate mixing of voters
at times when they should not mix.
The people who attribute the cross
ing Of political lines in these cases
to the direct primary law are talking
without knowledge of what they are
saying. The primary election law in
this state provides that at the pri-
mary election a man shall vote only
the ballot Of the party to which he
belongs. Some OF the old caucus
laws Of this state, and most Of the
caucus laws OF other states have con-
tanned similar provisions. But in
neither the primary laws nor the
caucus laws has there been provision
made for the registration OF voters
by party in order that a reasonable
check might be placed on indiscrim-
mate voting. Accordingly, in North
Dakota, when we operated under the
convention system. it was a common
practice, when it was considered
worth while, for members of one po-
litical party to invade the caucuses
of the opposing party for the purpose
of influencing the selection of dele
gates. That practice is common to-
day in the convention states. 1t WIFI
be common in any state in the abb
sence Of some proper registration
law, and the practice is followed,
occasionally, where the direct nomi-
mating system has been adopted.
There is nothing in the direct any
more than in the indirect system to
encourage the practice. It is a prac-
tice which has been followed, and
which will be followed under any sys-
tenn. whenever the temptation is af-
forded.
The registration law cannot prevent
this practice entirely. No law can do
so, for the simple reason that a mans
political opinions are known only to
himself. He may declare himself to
be Of one party, and in reality be of
another, and it cannot be proven that
he is lying. Under the primary law
as we have had it, and under our old
convention law, a man might be de-
clared, at the primary or the caucus,
to declare his party a~filiation under
oath on being challenged. The chief
difference between that and the pres
ent registration law is that every man
who expects to participate in nomi-
mating the candidates of a party must
some weeks in advace declare him
self a member of that party. The
declaration is substantially the same
in both cases. The chief difference
is that under the present law, If a
man is going to perjure himself he
must do it several weeks in advance,
and stick to it until after the primary.
There is no means possible by which
a member of one party can be pre-
vented absolutely from voting the
ballot of the other at the primary.
The Pembina Pioneer Express wants
to know if Governor Burke, popu-
larry known as a democrat, should
declare to the assessor that he is a
republican, how he could be prevent
ed from receiving a republican ballot
at the primary. He could not be
prevented. Neither could he have been
kept out OF a republican caucus I'M
der the same circumstances. The ben
eft of the registration will be that
some men who, IN the spur of the
moment, might have slipped in and
received ballots of the opposite party
without attracting attention, cannot
do so in the same manner They viii
be obliged to give notice Of their in
t~ention, and the chances that many
Of them will do so are slight.
The principle of the registration
and the method by which it is brought
about are two separate n distinct
things. The present method does not
appear to be the best. Possibly 1t
may prove better than 1t looks. We
can tell better after trying it.
Forman News: One of the most
serious objections urged against the
primary law by its opponents has been
the Ease with which democrats could
participate in republican primaries
and influence the result. In order to
smash this objection the last legisla-
ture passed a law requiring the asses
sors to ascertain from the voters their
party ~afaliation, and from the asses
sors' returns would be furnished to the
precinct election officers lists show
Ing the party to which each voter in
the precinct claimed to- belong. The
constitutionality OF this law was
questioned ana the supreme court has