Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-03-29
Constitutional Amendment Will
Eliminate Him From the
Contest.
Primary Law Section Requires
Nomination Signatures From
Date of May 4.
MEFFERT OUT FOR AUDITOR

With the almost sure prospect in
sight of the adoption of that consti-
tutional amendment which requires
the election of United States SEN
ators by a direct vote of the people
instead of election by the State
Legislatures, the chances of captur-
ing the Democratic nomination by
ex-Gov. Beckham are dwindling
every day in spite of the boasts of
his advance agent, Gen. P. Haly,
who in an interview this past week
stated that Beckham was having
the race to himself for the nomina-
tion. The Democratic vote in the
recent election was $4,000, while
the Republican and Progressive vote
combined amounted to $4,000,
which in case the latter two fuse,
and in all probability they will,
leaves a bare majority of 1000
votes in the Democrats favor, but
their candidate must be able to poll
the full voting strength, and this
candidate for that reason can not
be Beckham, who If given the NOM
ination would lose at least 10000
votes in Louisville, Lexington and
Covington, where his popularity has
been very much on the wane the
past several years. This makes it
imperative on the democratic party
to select some other nominee than
Beckham or lose the United States
Senatorship to the party.
The following section of the new
primary law is reprinted in answer
to several inquiries in regard to the
time of securing signatures to nom
inating papers and the time of filing
same: Each signer of a nomination
paper shall sign but one such paper
for the same office, except in cases
where more than one office of the
same kind is to be filled by the same
voters at the same election, in which
case a voter may sign for as many
candidates as there are offices to be
filled. and no more. Each signer of
a nomination paper SHALL DE-
CLARE THAT HE INTENDS To
SUPPORT TIL r CANDIDATE
NAMED THEREIN. He shall add
his residence and street number, If
any, and the date of signing. No
nomination paper shall be circulated
prior to sixty days before the date
by which such paper is required to
be filed, and no signature shall be
counted unless 1t has been affixed
to such nomination paper and bears
date within sixty days prior to the
time for filing same"
The above section, as can be seen,
will require candidates to begin Sc
curing signatures not earlier than
May and file same by July 2, and
as We call special attention to, each
signer of a petition will declare he
Intends to support the candidate
whose paper he signs. this will
deter many conscientious citizens
from signing papers promiscuously
although there is no way to compel
or tell how a man cast his vote.
William Fl. Meffert, now Deputy
Sheriff. attached to Judge Fields
court, is the latest announced can
didate for City Auditor, and Mr..
Meffert's long connection with the
theatrical business and other enter
prises has won him many friends
and followers, in addition TO the
many friends he has made during
his service in the Circuit Court.
The presence OF Congressman
Swagar Sherley in town this past
week has again agitated the question
Of the distribution or pie in the local
Postoffice and Custom House, and
our Congressman has been urgently
requested to put forth HIS best en-
deavors at Washington in rewarding
the faithful Democrats, who have
waited all these years at the pie
counter, while the naughty Republi.
cans now in control lived off the
fat Of the land.
Fred T. Heffernan, candidate fol
the Democratic nomination IN the
Twelfth ward, is setting a pace in
his campaign which is expected tC
bring more announcements this
coming week.