The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-04-05
CHANGES IN PRIMARY LAW

Ex-State Treasurer C. A. Hastings
of Lewiston, addresses himself to thu
primary law and recent changes
made as follows.
At the last regular session of ths
Legislature (not the specially virtually
q new primary law was enacted. Il
had been proven that our first law
was not a bowling success, anC
whether the direct primary law will
be q success is still a de5atablc ques
ton with great many people, fol
under any and ell events the execu.
ton of the laws and the faithful per.
Torrance of the duties required OF
an officer depend upon himself and
not the method by which he was
elected, and "pon the Off err depends
whether the laws are bowling sue
cesses, or dismal failures, Tor the in
tent of almost every law placed upon
the statute books is to be for the
benefit of the people, but not always
successfully 81, how >ver.
One of the principal changes made
in the primary law is the date of
holding the primaries, which this
year is the last Tuesday of July, al
most month earlier than under the
old law.
Another one of the principal
changes is in the form of the ballot.
Last year all names were entered
on the ballot in alphabetical order,
and this was estimated ito be worth,
by various states which had tried the
plan, from ten to twenty-five per
cent of the vote to the person whose
name head d the list for any partic-
ular office. The new law provides
that the position of the names shall
be changed in each office division as
many times as there are candidates,
in the office division, or groups in
which there are most names. The in
tent is that the printer shall print,
say in printing 10000 ballots, with
five candidates as the greatest num-
Der of candidates for any office, 1000
according to the list handed him by
the county auditor; then drop name
No. and place it at the bottom of
the list; then this would bring No. 2
in the first place on the second 1000
ballots; then drop again, bringing
name No. of the first 1000 into the
first position on tho third 1000 is
sued; and so on until each candidate
holds five places. Then after the bal
lots are printed and before they are
cut they must be placed in separate
piles; then take one from each pile;
tie intent being that every other bal
lot shall have the names in a diff
ferent position. Then they must be
placed in blocks of 100 ballots each
and changed again. This method
would be perfectly fair to all candi-
dates, making it utterly immaterial
what letters of the alphabet their
names began with.
Under the old law it was manda-
tory to vote for the first and second
choice. This year you may at your
option vote for first and second
choice.
Another change--.nde the old
law fifteen per cent of the first
years salary was permitted for per-
sonal expenses of various candidates;
this. year it is twenty-five per cent
for state office, member of congress
or United States senator; Is per
cent If he be candidate for district
Judge; county officers 10 per cent
except the county commissioners and
members of the legislature, and they
are limited to 800. The law defin-
ing what are personal expenses is
more definite and explicit under the
new law than the old.
The nominees for county offices in
each county, Is days after the pri-
mary election, shall elect county
central committee of not less than
one or more than three members
from each precinct; the 25th day af-
ter the primary the county central
meet and elect member
Of the state central committee; this
year we have platform convention
and the county central committee on
The second Tuesday of June shall
elect the delegates to a number equal |
to three times the number of the
state representatives as delegates to
the state platform convention. All
political parties must meet in Boise