The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-07-30
COLORADO HAS new
ELECTION SYSTEM
First Republican State "As
sembly' Is Being Held
Today.

DENVER, Colo, July 3O-The first
Republican state Assembly" as pro-
ivided for in Colorados 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 cores
ponds 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 NOM
nations and at the same time tends to
eliminate the bitter struggles for the
nominations that frequently prevailed
under the old system.
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 assembly. The
chief difference between the conven-
ton and the assembly lies in the pro-
vision that the assembly takes only
one ballot on candidates for each Of
fee to be filled and anyone receiving
assembly is entitled to have his or
her name On the primary ballot.
Following the state assemblies any
person who desires to be a candidate
before the primaries and who did not
receive the nomination in the assem-
bly, can become a candidate by filing
petitions with the secretary of state
requesting that his name be placed
on the primary ballot of any party to
resident voters of the state must be
signed to such petitions.
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 Den
yer to draft the party platform.
Though this will bring the time up
to within six weeks of the date of the
election, the law provides still another
chance for new candidates to get on
1.-THE November ballot. According to
the law, anyone not satisfied with
the results as obtained by the as
,semblies, the primaries and the subse-
Quent platform meetings, can get on
lthe regular ballot through petition by
securing the same number of sigma
lures that would have been required
to get on the September primary bal
lot and can certify a platform of his
own and make the race Independently.
Whichever faction in the Republican
party is defeated in the assembly to-
morrow undoubtedly will take advant-
ages Of the provisions of the law above
cited to get on the ballot at the No
.vember election. The opinion 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 Pro-
,gressives to allow the Taft supporters
ITO control the assembly and go ahead
with the nomination of Taft electors
land candidates for the primary cleo
.tion for state officers. The Progress
ives will then petition to get on the
Republican primary ballot and employ
EVERY effort to seize control of the Re-
publican party organization in the
primaries. Failing in this plan, the
Roosevelt supporters will still have
left to them the opportunity of run
ming their candidates Independently on
the ticket in November. The leader
ship in the fight is being taken by
Philip B. Stewart of Colorado Springs,
who aspires to be the candidate of the
Progressive Republicans for governor