The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-07-30
COLORADO SYSTEM NEW.
Is Based on Old Convention System
But Differs Radically.

Republican state assembly, as pro-
vided for in Colorado's new primary
law, will meet in this city tomorrow.
The assembly as constituted under
the primary law, is something new
in American politics. While it cor
responds in some respects to the
old state convention it possesses other
features that are radically different
The supporters of the new plan claim
for it that it is in accordance with
the modern trend towards direct
nominations and at the same time
tends to eliminate the bitter strug-
giles for the nominations that fire.
quently prevailed under the old sys-
TEN.
The assemblies are formed in the
same way that state conventions were
formed. Each party holds caucuses,
primaries and county conventions
and names delegates to the assem-
bly,. The chief difference between
the convention and the assembly lies
in the provision that the assembly
takes only one ballot on candidates
for each office to be filled and any,
one receiving ten per cent of the to-
tai vote in the assembly is entitled
to have his or her name on the pri-
mary ballot.
Following the state assemblies any
person who desires to be candidate
before the primaries and who did not
receive the nomination in the as
sembly can become a candidate bv
filing petitions with the secretary of
state requesting that his name be
placed on the primary ballot of any
party to which he belongs. The
names of 800 resident voters of the
state must be signed to such petit
tions.
The Colorado primaries this year
will be held on September 10. Two
weeks later, according to the new
law, the state and legislative candi-
dates will meet with the members
of the state central committees in
Denver to draft the party platforms.
Though this will bring the time up
to within six weeks of the date of the
election the law provides still an
other chance for new candidates to
get on the November ballot. Accord
ing to the law, anyone not satisfied
with the results as obtained by the
assemblies, the primaries and the sub
sequent platform meetings can get
on the regular ballot thrC1g petition
by securing the same number of sig
natures that would have been re-
quired to get on the September pri-
mary ballot and can certify plat
form of his own and make the race
independently.
Whichever faction in the Republic
can party is defeated in the assem-
bly, tomorrow undoubtedly will take
advantage of the provisions of the
law above cited to get on the ballot
']' .iAo A>o'Sh1oC1 OlcCCIou. IAS Oplu-
ion prevails that the Taft regulars
will be able to control the assembly,
since they have the support of the
state organization and won out in
the state convention last spring to
elect the delegates to the national
Republican convention.
1T is said to be the plan of the
Progressives to allow the Taft sup
porters to control the assembly and
so ahead with the nomination of
Taft electors and candidates for the
primary election for state officers.
The Progressives will then petition
to get on the Republican primary
ballot and employ every effort to
seize control Of the Republican party
organization in the primaries. Fail
ing in this plan, the Roosevelt sup
portars will still have left to them
the opportunity of running their can
didates independently on the ticket
in November The leadership in the
fight is being taken by Philip B.,
Stewart OF Colorado Springs, who
aspires to be the candidate of the
Progressive Republicans for COVER
nor