The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-07-26
VOTERS MAY ASK
FOR ANY TICKET
An Outrage to Compel Man to Swear
Allegiance to Any Party Says
Attorney General West.

Oklahoma City, July 22.--ln reply to-
an article in the Muskogee Times
Democrat, which represented him as
ruling that an elector at the primary
can vote only the ticket OF the party
under which he has registered, AttoT-
ney General Charles Wesct today made
a vigorous denial that such is his posi-
tion and reiterates an opinion formerly
given fron. his Office to the effect that
a voter can ask for any one ticket
which he desires at the primary, re-
gardless of past party affiliations or
lack of affiliations, although he is of
course restricted to voting for the
candidates on the one ;tsSket which he
calls for.
The attorney generals ruling is OF
particular interest just as the present
time because of the fact that q very
large number of former republicans
who are now supporting Theodore
Roosevelt and the new progressive
party have registered as inaepend-
ents. 1t has been announcd in various
places over the state that this would
exclude them from voting at the pri-
mary inasmuch as there is no inde-
pendent ticket IN the field, but under
the attorney generals construction OF
the law they may call for any ticket
they want regardless of their Tegistra-
ton.
The article which called Sorth the
latest opinion from the attorney gen.
eral was published in the Muskogee
Times-Democrat Saturday evening.
The head lines stated that West
held that an electvr could vote only
the ticket Of that party under which
he was registered while the body Of
the article without quoting min. stated
that sach was the opinion Of Ber
Riley, secretary OF the state election
board, and that, Attorney General West
who was in the. city, agreed with him
In letter to the editor of'cne Times
Democrat, Attorney General Wes'
says;
Il do not know what MT. Riley
opinion may be, but mine is quite tbs
contrary of the position stated. thinl
that when the eaector presents hiMa
self to vote he, irrespective of pas
party Affiliations, has the right to vots
any one ticket he may call for.
The opinion already given to Rep
resentative G. w. Lewis aNong th'
same line. which was given consider
able publicity at the time, is cited il
full for the purpose of defIning tn
attorney generals position more clear
" and the paper rs requested to con
rect the erroneous lmpressisn giyel
by its former article.
Another. opinion alaalg the same lin
and of almost equal Importance wa
given today 10y the attorney genera
to County Attorney J. A. Fain Of Law
ton in which he HOLDS that pTecine
election inspectors are without author
ity to require an elector to mike o
sign an affidavit that he will supper
the nominees eelf the party for who's
candidates the elector may prppos
to vote at the primary.
>@An attempt TO enforce such rt
quirement," says the attorney genera
j will be serious criminal offe1lst
and should be reported TO me wit
full details as weK as to the count
attorney of the county in which Tn
offense took place. wish you woui
endeavor to learn wko are the person
who caused the printing of the forr
yon sent me and when and where
was done We ought not to allow a
outrage of this ki-4d to be perpstrated.