Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-07-17
AN APPEAL
CONTINUED from first page,

law then that law should be repealed
or amended, for under his construc-
ton it makes it impossible to enioy
political freedom of thought and ac-
ton; it destroys free government and
makes it impossible for a citizen to par
ticipate in the primary election of his
party although he may believe in it's
fundamental principles, if in the cleo
ton held the even number of years he
votes for candidates on the opposition
ticket because he believes them bet
ter men than those nominated upon
his own.
Judges, eminent lawyers and law
men differ from the honorable Secre-
tary in holding that a voter can not
vote with his party in this years
primary election, who in 1918 may
have voted for candidates on another
ticket, although he still believed in
the principles of his own party, and
they contend that under section 1852
of the General Code, that all voters
who now affiliate with a political
party may participate in this primary
in the selection of its candidates.
! If we concede that the law is cor
rectly construed by Secretary Graves,
it is not in harmony with the spirit
of political freedom that exists upper
most in the minds of the voters of
Ohio at the present time. 1t is not
of that new freedom about which SO
much has been said of late.
We submit that it matters not what
the political complexion of the legis-
lative body may have been which
created this law, if at the present
time it's execution as construed by the
chief election officer of the state
would have a tendency to deprive
thousands of citizens from participant
ing in the election of candidates fol
the party in whose principles they
now believe, its enforcement would
be a~ntagonistic to free government
and in the interest of machine poll
tics and subversive of the will of the
majority of the voters.
1t the ruling of Secretary Graves is
to stand, it will NEAR that thousands
of the best citizens of Ohio viii re.
main away from the polls On primary
election day. They will not Be co-.rc.
ed into voting a ticket viii n does moi
represent their party and whose can.
didates they will not support in thu
general election, Our government
cannot afford to be deprived of the
support of so large a body Of indie
pendent, mi eiligent, honest citizens
therefore does not an emergency exis
for safety and preservation Of fret
government, in the interest of all ths
in Importance to their welfare than
10000 1L1rr1. H. r.+oo e 49,
ton which forms your basis for con
vening the General Assembly?
The demand for the change in tn
primary election law interpreted b.
Secretary Graves comes from ever.
part of the state. Politically it can no
effect me as / have no opposition fo
nomination, / am making this reques
in to the demands of hun
dreds of citizens who are intereste,
only in obtaining the best govern
ment possible.
1t is your. policy to convene tn
General Assembly for a very brie
session, and it can only consider sucl
measures as are called to it's atten
ltion by the chief executive of tn
state, we respectfully urge that il
converting this body you recommen'
the enactment of an emergency meas
; ure, SO amending sections 1880 an
1897 of the General Code, as vii
permit all the voters of the state t
participate hereafter in primary cleo
tions as members of the political par
ty with which they in good faith at
fliate at the time of the primary cleo
ton.
I Respectfully submitted,
FRANK II REIGHARD