Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-02-09


what | have stated. | would be pleased
| to have you make it public and also tell
what part of the law you base your sup
position ON. Unless you can give a bet
| t< excuse than you gave Monday night
| hope that hereafter you will provide
ballots for all political parties as the law
requires.
Respectfully yours,
GUSTAVE a. EY.'
Office of Secretary of State.
Augusta, Maine, Feb 8, 1919.
Gustaye A. Ey. Esq.
Lisbon Falls, Maine.
Dear SIR
My attention has been called to a
letter purporting to have originated
with you and appearing in the Lewis
ton Journal of Wednesday evening
last, III which you appeared to take
the ground that this office had been
rem;ss in failing to provide ballots for
you and others of the Socialist Party
in Androseoggin county, and had in
consequence, deprived YOU of the right
to vote in the Senatorial primary.
am not surprised that a law which
is new ito Maine voters and which is
somewhat intricate and confusing
should be troublesome both to town
officials and to the voter himself; but
if YOU will carefully study its prov1
sions particularly Sections ] and
YOU will see that at least two things
are required before any party can
take part in a primary election.
First: Your party must have cast at
least one per cent. of the total guber-
material vote at the preceding election.
Second: tSee Section - Nominations
must be made for places on ballots
which are to be used al Primary Elec-
tions.
Ii is true that your party cast in ex-
cess of the required one per cent. of
the gubernatorial vote and was en-
titled to the primary ballot but you
failed to nominate a candidate for
senator and there being no Socialist
nomination. from Androscegsin coun-
" it follows naturally, that the secre-
tary of State could not provide An
droscoggin county with socialist ball
lot.
You must blame your own neglect of
duty and not the secretary of State
for this | was called up by phone on
Monday evening as YOU state, by your
town clerk but am not aware OF CIV
ing any evasive or wrong information.
Your clerk stated to me that par
ties wished to vote the Socialist ticket
and had asked for Socialist ballots
and the clerk wished to know what
he should do. I told him there was
nothing to do as no Socialist nominal
ton had been made which was the
reason why there had been no ballot
prepared. He then asked me II ne
should give them Republican or
Democratic ballot to which l replied
that they could not use these ballots
as Socialists. q.
takes care of such cases as yours.
While you could not take part in the
primary by reason of making no nom
iration. YOU can get on the regular
ballot by petition properly filled,
signed and accepted by your candidate
and filed at this office as provided by
law. Such petition will get your can
,lidate on the regular ballot in March
This Office does not make or execute
laws further than to try to carry out
their provisions in so far as the Of
fee has to do with them. Your town
officials could have done nothing diff
rerent than they did, following your
enrolment as Socialists. So far as
this office is concerned, we shall try
10 prepare all ballots In strict ae-
cordanee with the law and if errors
occur here as no doubt they will, such
errors will not be the results of malice
OF prejudice.
| am inclosing to you under sepaf-
ate cover copy of the Primary Law
Tor your perusal.
Believe me,
Very truly yours,
CYRUS w. DAVIS.
IL 20 Il