The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-09
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Defects in Primary Law

Defects in Primary Law
 To the Editor of The Age Herald:
 A great deal has been said and written about primary elections, and many amend ments have been made to the original law, yet there are others that should be made to have the law as nearly perfect as pos sible. This can and should be done
 That the present primary law is much superior to the old system of conventions goes without argument, and no one with the possible exception of few designing politicians would be willing to go back to the old convention plan. That a primary election properly conducted gives, or is supposed and intended to give every quail fled voter the opportunity to express his own particular choice for any candidate for every elective office; but does the present system give this privilege? By no means Every voter has the right, and should have the privilege of casting his ballot free and untrameled, and without being dictated to by interruptions politi- clans, ward heelers and hangers on around the polls on election day, where undue in- f1uences are exerted to cause the voter to cast his ballot for a candidate other than his original choice.
 Our present primary election law Is good in many respects, but it needs some amendments Elections of all kinds should be regarded as sacred proposition, and every safeguard consistent with law should be thrown around them to make them sacred, and every voter should be so protected in the casting of his ballot as that he would have that confidence and assurance that he would be allowed to vote as his Judgment and conscience might dictate. Every voter should have at least ono full day to calmly consider whom he desired to vote for, and our primary cleo ton laws should be so fixed as to pro- hbit any person from electloneering with the voter in any manner, either by word, card, circular or otherwise, from 6 o'clock D. m. of the day preceding the election to o'clock D. m. on the day of the elec- tion. and until the polls are closed
 The voter should be alone for, that 24 hours to determine for himself how he wants to vote and for whom, without be- ing pulled and hauled around by some soheming politician and ward heeler, who has some particular candidate to work for, and doubtless whose money and liquor he Is using for that purpose on the day of the election on the election grounds. Such methods cannot be too strongly con demned, and should be prohibited by the most strenuous laws that can be written into our statutes. Let every candidate for any office, or his friends. electioneer as much as they please with the voters up to that hour, and then shut them off. No voter can use that cool and calm deliber- alton that should be so necessary in de- terlnining who is the best man for any of- fec if he is allowed to be pulled and hauled by probably several political schen,ers on the day of election when he goes to cast his ballot. and In numerous cases the schemer insisting that he be allowed to mark the ballot for the voter, and often deceiving the voter as to how he did mark it. thus actually robbing the voter of his franchise.
 Every man should mark his own ballot unless he Is prevented by some physical disability, then he should be provided with assistance of his own selection. No per son should be allowed to mark any voters ballot with that exception.
 We make a great nretense of advocating fair and honest elections. Do we have them? No, and we are doing nothing to make them more fair and honest than we now find them. The honest voters are be- coming disgusted with the present state of affairs in that connection, and hun dreds have expressed their determination never to participate in another primary election, until some changes are made in our primary laws along these lines. If we expect to perpetuate our primary sys- tenn we must do something to change pres ent conditions and give the voter more protection as to his own wishes.
 While the following suggested amend ments to our present primary law may not cover all the defects in 1t, it will as- suredly help to better existing conditions:
 Sec. =. If shall be unlawful for any person to electioneer in any manner. or to make any suggestions to any qualifed voter as to whom he shall cast his ballot for for any office. either by word. card, circular or otherwise, between the hours oe o'clock D. m. on the day previous to any primary election and o'clock p. m. on the day of said election. and until after the polls are closed on-said day; that no inspector clerk or returning officer of any primary election, nor any other per son shall mark the ballot of any voter,