The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-07-22
Secretary of Territory Mott-Smith
Points Out Features of
New Measure.

VIOLATIONS OF the spirit or letter of
the new primary law, save as to fraud.
uient voting carry no penalty except
such public shame as may be visited
upon the malefactor, said Territorial
Secretary +. A. Mott. Smith last night,
while explaining the news primary law
to members of the Republican county
During his concise and lucid explana.
tion of the statute and, its purpose,
Mott-Smith called attention to that sec.
ton which provides that no person
snail sign nomination papers of more
than one person for the same office.
He said that while it was presumed
that Republicans should sign for Re.
publicans, and Democrats for Demo.
Gratis, there was no penalty for violat.
ing the. pledge appended to the effect
that the signer intended TO support the
candidate and the party which he claim.
ed to represent. He said that with the
secret ballot there was no way of de.
terminng whether manikept faith or
not, and that the only remedy was to
make him feel the weight of public dis
pleasure if found out.
No Platform Provision.
The speaker made II Main tbat while
the purpose of the primary law was to
do away with conventions, there was
nothing to prevent the holding of con
ventions before the primaries. But he
pointed out that there is no provision
under the new primary law for form
ing platform for forcing man to
abide by his platform or for controlling
his vote at general election. The law,
he said, contained provision requiring
candidate to stand by his platform,
but made no provision for platform.
Secretary Mott-Smith explained that
the primary ballot could carry any
number of parties, providing the word
"party" complied with its definition as
regular political organization with
county committee and a central com
mittee. He explained how candidate
receiving a majority of registered votes
cast would be elected at the primaries
| without further ado, and that in de-
fault of a majority the high man among
the primary candidates ON each ticket
would make the race at the general
election, this with the exception of the
non-partisan or independent candidates,
each of whom receiving twenty per
cent of the registered vote cast, would
| occohhc IL chhuiuabe NJ Tue SeutTdl clec-
| ton.
Convention Is Possible.
The speaker said that it would be
entirely possible to hold convention
and name candidate who should re-
ceive the support of the party at the
primaries, but that there was nothing
to prevent disgruntled member of the
same party, securing fifteen signatures
and running on the same ticket against
the convention nominee. The primary
law, does prevent, he said, the entrance
in the field of any candidate after the
PRIMARIES and before the general elec.
ton.
The secretary said that he was at
work on pamphlet, explaining the
primary law in its relation to the other
election laws, which he hoped to finish
before he left office.
He said that as a result of expert
ment, he had learned that it was posi-
BILE that the ballot at primary pre-
ceding a general election may measure
two feet in width and be about six feet
long, if the present type and arrahge.
ment is used.
He said that in his opinion there were
several serious defects in the law but
there was no necessity of calling atten-
ton to them at this time.