The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-04-29
Will Be Held in Bemidji and Com
posed of Delegates Elected in
Towns May 7.
STATE PRIMARY SYSTEM OLD
Was Introduced in 1882 When First
Political Assembly Was Held
In Baltimore.

The following article, taken from
the Duluth Herald, is clear exposi-
ton of the present method of nolni-
mating and electing public officials.
1t has been changed only where it
applies locally:
You ask the man on the street,
How is the president elected "
Easy" he says. "The parties
choose the candidates and the people
vote on Them
That's we'll enough as far as it
goes, but if asked to go farther and
explain the whole machinery of po-
litical campaigns which end with the
inauguration of president every
four years, nine out of ten men met
on the street-perhaps SO out Of 100
would be stumped
AS matter of fact the people
don't vote on the candidate for pre- 81
dent or vice-president. They vote IN
presidential electors, who vote on the
candidates. Such a thing as Dresi
Dental electors voting for some can
didate other than the one they are
chosen to support is possible-al-
though very improbable.
The presidential campaign really
opens with the conventions nominal
ing the candidates in the preceding
campaign. The state delegations at
the national conventions name their
national committeeman and the cen
yentiOns choose the chairmen Of the
national committee The committees
are charged with the duty of con-
Quoting the preliminaries to the NOM
ination of the candidates at the next
election.
There is no law-written or I'M
written-to determine when can
didate for a nomination may an
nounce his candidacy or begin to
work. Usually candidates begin tn cir
work in the year preceding the cleo
tion They name managers, who OBJ
en- headquarters, get organizations to
= work in the different states and food
the country with literature extolling
the virtues and qualifications of the
candidates they represent.
The procedure is about as follows:
The Procedure.
The chairman of the national COM
mittee calls the committee together
some time early in the election year
to fix the date and place for the ma
tional convention and to fix the basis
of representation. This year the Re
publicaon national convention will De
held in Chicago June IS and the
Democratic convention at Baltimore
June rs. The standard basis Of rep
resentation is two delegates for each
congressman and senator and four
delegates at large from each state
The Republican convention will have
1913 delegates this year, and ma
jority, or $40, will be necessary tC
nominate The Democratic conven'
ton will have 1904 delegates and
two-thirds, or 73O, Will be necessary
to nominate. The difference in the
number of delegates is due to the fac
that the Democratic convention will
have six delegates each from Alaska
the District of Columbia, the Philip.
pines and Porto Rico, while the Re
publicans will have but two from each
territory.
After the national committee has
determined the time and place of the
convention and the basis of represen
tation, the state central COMMITTEES O.
the party meets and takes similar av
ton for the state. The time ant
place for the state convention II
choose delegates is fixed and the basi
of representation determined. III
basis of representation varies will
the states and parties. -.. -.
State Conventions.
The Republican state convention il
Minnesota will be held at Minneapc
lis May 16 The basis of representa-
ton is one delegate for each IS
votes, or major fraction thereof, i
the average vote on the first saYe1
candidates on the Republican stat
ticket in 1910 and five delegates a
large from each county.
The Democratic state conyentio
will be held at Duluth June 6. TIL