Alma record., 1915-01-07
GOVERNOR 5 MESSAGE
Continued from page l

NOhh hhNt iAVh Btt
foregoing imperfecuons lhey should
have no power to alter the general
purpose of the bill. Every bill would
pass through the hands of this com
mittee before il is placed upon its final
passage.
The primary value of this plan lies
in the fact that we have here com
mittee of experts through whose hands
every bill must pass before il becomes
a lava committee whose sole atten-
tion is directed to the discovery and
the correction of the defects indicated.
hope that you have examined this
proposed plan with the utmost care.
Some of the very ablest lawyers and
judges, without reference to their
political affiliations. have pronounced
this plan worthy of adoption.
urge upon you at this time the
very great importance Of giving this
plan a trial at this session.
Primary Election Law.
The present Primary Election Law
is the best one that Michigan has yet
had on its statute books This is
proven by the fact that last August
more citizens of Michigan voted at the
primaries than ever before in the his
tory of the State. Like all human
laws ii has its limitations. Some of
these can be remedied by further leg
islation.
The principal complaint against the
primary is that in a large field of can
didates for a given Office a minority
candidate is sometimes chosen. This
can be remedied largely by having a
preferential ballot with columns for
first and second choice. The chief OBJ
lection 10 this plan lies in the fact that
the voter must exercise his intelli-
gence, the one absolutely essential
thing for voter 10 do.
In recent political conferences it has
been suggested that the primary
should include the remainder of the
| elective State Officials. My recon-
mendation Of two years ago and re-
peated this year for the adoption Of
the Short Ballot meets this demand
admirably
Several other debatable suggestions
have been given publicity Because a
good workable primary law is OF the
greatest concern, il might be well TO
make a most searching investigation
through a competent commission be-
| fore making radical changes in our
present law.
Ballot Reform.
II the people are 10 rule through the
agency of the ballot at the election
primary, they must simplify our cleo
ton primary laws. Possibly We are
under the delusion that we have had
the Australian Ballot system for many
years. but as a matter of fact such is
not the case. Il is claimed that the
present party column ballot is easy
for the ignorant voter to vote the
straight party ticket, but il is difficult
for the independent voter to split the
party ticket The double system OF
marking the ballot with a circle on
the top and squares at the sides gives
rise to endless confusion. Many
voters mark the squares to the side of
the first name on the ticket, believing
that this mark votes the whole ticket
Election inspectors say that one voter
in ten fails to mark his ballot properly
indicating that $4,000 Michigan voters
are annually disfranchsed in whole or
| in part, by the present complicated
ballot Our ballots should be changed
| 10 the genuine AuSli dildH DdlioN oiihA
lar to that provided by the Massa-
chusetts law. The advantage in this
ballot is that there is but one way to
mark It, No complicated instructions
are necessary. In voting each candi
dates name comes under the eyes OF
the voter, and he places a cross in
front of the name of every man he
wishes TO vote for
Short Ballot.
Many citizens think that the people
are called on to elect too many Of
ficials. An examination Of our eiec
ton returns for many years will dis
close the fact that the people exercise
much independence in voting for Gov
ernor, some in selecting a Lieutenant
Governor, but below that Office the can
didates for the state Offices receive
practically the same vote regardless
of their individual merits. If, for ex
ample, anything goes wrong in The
State Treasurer office. the blame /!
promptly laid on the Governor, al
though he has no control over tina
office.
In the interest of better government
and a shorter ballot, why would il no
be a good idea to submit a constitu
tional amendment providing for th'
election of Governor and Lieutenan