The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-04-11

The Perry bill, establishing nomin-
atoms by direct primaries, as re-
ported to the Senate, by a majority
of the committee on judiciary,
through Senator McDonough, is here
with printed in full
It is a statute of first Importance
and the attention of Farmer readers
Is invited to it
II it becomes a law it will en-
able the citizen to make their can
didates by direct choice. as they now
vote their direct choice on election
day.
The bill is drawn by Senator Perry
1t preserves the party system But
the cost of operating the system is
decreased. At the present time each
party holds a separate primary,
which entails separate voting places,
and expense of various Kinds
The Perry bin fixes one set of vot-
ing places. All parties holding pri-
maries vote at that place on that day.
But no member of one party can vote
for the candidate of another party.
In order to vote Democratic ticket
the voters must be enrolled upon the
Democratic primary list. So of a
Repub Iican, who must be enrolled up
on a Republican primary list
Coming to the voting place a Dem.
ocrat. if the Perry bill should be-
come a law, would enter, give his
name, be checked on the Democratic
list. and receive a ballot, upon which
would be the names of the several
candidates for the several offices to
- fha
cratic ticket.
The Republican would follow, and
he would be checked on the list of
his party, and he would receive a bal
lot of his party.
The Democratic ballot would be
different colored paper than the Re
publican ballot
It will be seen that, under this sys-
tenn, no voter could vote other than
his party ticket, and that he must
vote the ticket handed to him after
he enters the polling place
Thus is done away-if the bill be-
comes 1aw-with all the pulling and
hauling and ballot snatching that
surround the present system Of pri-
mary voting which is SO disgusting to
the ordinary voter.
The form of the ticket is simple.
IF it is a city ticket the candidates
for Mayor of the Democratic party
will be arranged one under another,
beneath the title for office. So of the
candidates for each other office on
that ticket The Dem ocratic voter
will put a cross opposite each cand1-
date for whom he wishes to vote.
The Republican voter will do the
same, only upon the ticket Of the
Republican party.
Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives in Cen
eral Assembly convened:
Section 1. Definition and Construc-
ton The words and phrases in this
act shall be construed, unless the con-
text or Subject-matter otherwise re-
oJ1ires as follows: The word 'fpri-
mary as the primary elections pro-
vided for by this act; the word "elec-
ton" as a general election, a city
or borough election for electing pub
lie officers, as distinguished from
primary election for nominating Off
GERS: the words general election as
The election held on the Tuesday aLf-
ter the first Monday Of November bi-
enniaIIy: the word precinct as
district within which all qualified
electors vote at one polling place; the
words. county clerk as the clerR OF
the superior court for that county.
This act shall be literally construed.
50 that the will Of the electors may
not be defeated by any informa1ity or
failure to comply with all the pro-
visions thereof in respect to either
the giving of any notice or tho con-
Quoting of the primary or certifying
the results thereof. provided the Oh
5ect of the provisions Is substantially
accomplished
sec 2 Candidates Affected All
candidates for the office of governor,
representative In congress, state SEN
ator. representative in the general as
EennbIy, judge of probate, or sheriff,
and all candidates for any city or
borough election, the election to which
Is by ballot, shall. except as otherwise
provided in sections nineteen and
twenty-five, be nominated at pri-
mary held in accordance with this
act, and, subject to the foregoing eK-
ceptfon, the names of no other candl-
dates for those offices shall be printed
on official ballots at any election; but
this act shall not apply to nominal
tons for special elections to fill va
caucies in any Of the above named
Offices or DO nominations made by
any party or political organization
which. at the preceding general cleo
ton. did not poll for at least one can
dfdate for a state office three per CEN
t1rzr or more OF the total vote cast
in the state for that Office unless such
marty or orzanization. at a state con-
vezr4ion called for the purpose, has
voted to conform to the provisions OF
this act. and caused a copy OF such