The Glenwood post., 1914-02-28
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MISTAKEN NOTIONS

There seens to Be sons AisaRee-
Asnsisa Is to witch Of the political
parties wss third i. the race in the last
state electi6s. The Progressivss have
loudly proclaimed the fact or tas ap-
posed fact that they were second in the
race and that the Republicans are had
third, but is that really . faeti Trus
it is that Mr.. Costisaa. the Prosre.siss ,
candidate for governor, pplled . larger
vote than did Mr.. Parks, ths Rspubli-
can candidate, but does that settle tho
matterf
Not il = writer in the Colorado
Springs Telegraph has the right view
of the matter. This gentleman baSss
his assumption upon what he says -
the law in regard to fixing the stand
ing Of political parties and he shows
that the standard is not governed by
the head Of the ticket, but by the vote
cast for the seven executive officers.
His statement is as follows:
From certain articles that have bee.
printed in the press of the state, e
would seem that it is not generally
known that the late legislature fixed
the standard by which political parties
are to have their standing - 0sA.
BY this law the average number Of
votes east for the seven executive Of
fices of the state is the standard by
which election judges are to be ap,
pointed.
At the last general election, three of
the Republican candidates for said
offices received a majority of votes
over their fusion Progressive opponents,
and three of the fusion candidates re-
ceived majorities over their Repub!i-
can opponents. Mrs. Wilson, the Re-
publican candidate for superintendent
of public instruction, was indorsed by
both the Prohibition and Citizens par
ties, and her majority over her fusion
opponent was 22,363.
Counting Mrs. Wilson as RepubH-
can, as the fusion Progressives count
their candidates as PrOgressives only,
the average Republican vote for these
seven offices was 7O,3O6 6-7. The av-
erage fusion vote for these seven OF
fices was 62,2Ol II The aggregate
Republican vote was 492,l4s. The ag-
gegate fusion vote was 435.4Os. Ths
Republican majority was SO, ,74O. Throw
ing out Mrs. Wilson g vote, the avev
age vote Of the six remaining Republi-
publican candidates received mora
votes than did Mr. Costigan, the fusion
candidate for governor, on which the
writer's of these articles base th.r
claim that the Progressive party is the
second party in the state.
The Progressive party had no candi-
not a fusion candidate. To be entitled
to all of the rights of party, tho
party claiming such rights must have
cast 10 per cent of the total vote lt
the last general election. If the vote
so cast for Mr.. Costigan entities tho
Progressive party to such rights. then
It must follow that the vote So cast fnr
Mrs. Wilson entities both the Prohibi-
tion and Citizens parties to such
rights, and they will be entitled 70
nominate their candidates the same as
the other parties. And this would he
true also of the Bull Moose and Roose,
welt parties, for the fusion vote cannot
be separated. If this be the law, then
in order for . party to be recognized
as such, it can indorse some minor ear-
didate of these seven offices and make
the vote for such candidate the bass
for its claim under the election laws.