Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1912-10-29

The Penitentiary
for Progressives

of the Republican state committee.
not to speak of numerous members
of other Republican committees, who
are supporters of Mr. Roosevelt and
who will not support President Taft.
Had the Hatfield primary bill become
a law they would have been subject
TO prosecution for perjury and il con-
victed would have been sent TO the
penitentiary and forever disqualified
from holding any Office of trust or
profit in the state If any of them
had been guilty of voting against any
nominee of his party, he would have
been prohibited from sevring on any
committee without running the risk
of being prosecuted for perjury.
AS Mr.. Taft was nominated by TIE
Republican party, persons of Roose-
welt affiliations, those who refused to
support Taft and gave their support
| to Roosevelt would. under the pro-
visions of section IL which reads,
| He shall further state under oath
| that he will, during the time that he
| acts as such committeeman. If per-
mitted to vote at the regular cleo
| ton, vote for and support ALL of the
nominees for which he is to act"
either be disqualified to act as mem
bers of a Republican committee, re-
gardless of their election as such, or
| if they did act would run the risk of
being sent to the penitentiary In
other words they would be shackled
and manacled to Taft or else ground
| to political pieces under the Taft
chariot wheels. Not even the man.
fdates of the Russian government
could be more drastic, more inexor-
able or more autocratic than this
provision.
| Would Reach Every Voter.
/ But the foregoing section only
reached the committeeman Section
| 19 of the same bin was destined to
reach every voter of Republican pre-
objections, to stifle his convictions. to
destroy the secrecy of the ballot and
| to violate both the letter and the
Esprit of the Constitution of the
Estate This section will be found on
page 446 of the Senate Journal for
the session of 1909, under the head
of Senate Bills.
| The section begins by making pro-
vision for three election commits
| sioners and two poll clerks to con-
| duct the primary, but it adds new
| feature; namely. "In addition to the
commissioners and clerks there shall
be admitted to the election room,
during the election and counting of
| the ballots and certifieation of the
results, two witnesses to be chosen
| by the qualified party electors pres
ent, or a majority thereof. at the
| time of the opening of the polls.
Said witnesses shall be permitted to
see the counting of the ballots and
| the certification of the results"
| There follows Immediately the
fangs in the bill wherein every par
ticipant in the primary is required to
make an oath that he will support
every candidate appearing on the
| ticket, the language of this part of
| the section readings
| Any One May Challenge.
| Either of said witnesses, or any
precinct, is authorized TO challenge
| the right of any person to vote at
such primary election who offers to
vote, and, when challenged, no per-
son shall be permitted to vote until
he takes and subscrihes an oath stat
| ing that ne is qualified elector and
that he will be entitled to vote at
the general election next ensuing in
| said precinct. and that he will, if
permitted to vote, vote at the cleo
ton, for every candidate for Office
whose name appears upon the party
ticket of the party conducting said
| primary election. On making said
| affidavit, the person so challenged
shall be entitled to vote, and his vote
| at the primary shall be received and
| counted Said affidavit shall be
placed in an envelope with all other
| like affidavits taken at said precinct.
| and shall be, by one of the election
commissioners, delivered to the pros
ecuting attorney of the county, who
shall file and preserve the same for
the period Of one year after the date
| of said election
Secrecy Of Ballot Lost.
ANY person whose right to vote
at a primary is challenged and who
| makes the affidavit hereinfore re-
| quired may be challenged when he
offers to vote at the general election
| by any voter of the precinct at which
| he is offering to vote: and, IL chal-
lenged, he shall, nevertheless, be
permitted to vote at such election,
but before placing his ballot in the
ballot box one of the election conf
missioners shall write the voters
Continued on page 81