Omaha daily bee., 1914-08-31
Nebraska
SHORT BALLOT is APPROVED
No One Seems to Be Found to Up.
hold Work of Present System.
COMPLAINT IS QUITE GENERAL
Multiplicity OF Candidates HAS
Effect OF killing OFF Just
what Was Hoped Primary
would Do.
lFrom a SOD correspondent.l


LINCOLN, Aug. So.-(Special)-If there
is anyone in this neck o woods" who
is satisfied with the workings OF the
present primary law they are not push
ing forward. It seems to be the general
opinion that the moro the law is tried
out the weaker it is shown to be- and
the man who can discover a better
method of conducting a system for nom
mating state officials will be entitled
to great deal of credit.
One OF the weaknesses Of the present
system which is causing a great deal Of
criticism is the chance for large army
of candidates TO get on the ballot, with
the result that It takes so long to count
the ballots that people almost forget
that there has been a primary. Nearly
two weeks have elapsed. and yet the
people of the state do not know the
result, except in general way, and in
one instance the vote is so close that
it will take the official count to de-
ter1-line-
Multiplicity OF candidates has had the
effect of killing off just what it was
hoped the primary would do, bring tho
people nearer to the nominees. Instead
of the people taking more interest in the
bothered so much with the army of Of
flee seekers that they have become dis
gusted, and the result is that they are
farther than ever away from the very
proposition for which the primary was
expected to solve.
Less interest shown.
Candidate coming to Lincoln during
the last campaign were unanimous in
their belief that the people we're dis
Eusted and were taking less interest in
the selection of candidates for office than
ever before. You can't get them in
terested in any of the offices with the
exception of governor" said one candi-
date. They take some interest in the
head of the ticket, but even on that
they don't seem TO care very much. The
warm local fights in the different COM
munities has a tendency to bring out
the vote, but II it was left to just the
proposition of selecting state candidates
alone, at the present primary election.
don't believe there would be one-tenth
of the entire vote out
This all goes to show that the short
ballot, as urged by The Bee, is the real
solution of the nominating proposition.
Much favorable comment has been heard
since The Bee proposed the short ballot
as the solution of the difficulty which
confronts Nebraska. The testimony of
the candidates mentioned above that the
people take little interest in any of the
state candidates below governor indi-
Gates that the short ballot fits into
the solution Of the problem
General DISQUALIFICATION.
without critIcizing the candidates nom
mated on either of the tickets. there
is a general dissatisfaction expressed
alike by republicans and democrats. 1t
is the expressed opinion of men of both
parties, and they are not backward in
saying it outside OF party circles, that
in many instances the men defeated for
some Of the offices were better qualified
for the positions than those who won,
This all comes from the fact that few
people, when they marked their bal
lot, we're in a position to know Of the
qualifications of the candidates and the
very purposes of the primary has been
defeated.
Around the state house the short ballot
seems TO meet with a great deal OF ap-
prevail However. there seems to be also
a sentiment that those officers who are
10 be dominated should be named by a
state convention, composed of delegates
chosen at a primary held in each county
at the same time the nominations are
made for the county officers.
However. according to the sentiment
as voiced, IL does not much matter what
kind of a plan the Legislature may evolve
and pass, it cannot very well be less
satisfactory.