Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-11-23
PRIMARY AFTERTHOUGHT.
TSioux City Journal.l

The Nebraska presidential primary
law provides that the name of a cam
didate for vice president shall appear
on the ballot upon the filing of a Pc
tition in his behalf signed by twenty
five qualified voters. No provision is
made for the withdrawal of a nominal
ton, but the natural presumption is
that one could be withdrawn on re-
quest of the petitioners who filed it.
The Nebraska statute is open to
criticism in several directions. II
makes no provision for consulting the
wishes of the candidate in the matter
OF a candidacy. 1t takes no precautions
to make sure OF his qualifications or
to secure a guaranty that he will ac-
cept II nominated. The nomination Of
a candidate is made so easy as to en-
courage encumbering the BALLOT with
the names of freak or joke candidates.
The Iowa presidential primary law
corrects most Of the defects in the Ne
braska statute. II contains provision
that ''No candidate for nomination TO
the office of president or vice presi-
dent of the United States shall have
his name printed on the official ballot
Of his party as herein provided for
unless at least sixty days prior to the
ton herein provided for he shall
cause to be fled in the Office of the
secretary of state his affidavit that he
is eligible to the office and that he
will in good faith submit his candidacy
to the national convention of his po-
litical party" The affidavit, form for
which is submitted in the law. requires
further declaration that if nominated
and elected the candidate will qualify
for the office.
Under the Iowa law no such situa-
ton as has developed in Nebras ska, in
which an unwilling candidate may be
forced to permit his name to appear
on the ballot, is possible. In Iowa, as
| in Nebraska, however, the loading OF
the ballot with the names OF crank
candidates is possible. The Iowa law
requires no petition in behalf OF the
presidential and vice presidential can
| didates, tho petitions are required for
candidates for relegates. Apparently
the Iowa secretary OF state would have
to place on the ballot the names of
! all candidates who might file the speci-
| fled affidavit, providing that mental
| irresponsibility could not be proved
against them. Altho petitions adj
! mittediy are a nuisance in primary,
lthey do serve a useful purpose in dis
couraging freak candidates. which add
to the expense Of printing the ballots
and serve to confuse the voters.
While the trainers of the Iowa law
were conservative in protecting the
interests Of the candidates. they were
| foolishly radical in placing upon the
backs Of the party wheel horses the
trouble and expense of set OF per-
fectly useless conventions. Under the
primary principle the voters accom-
plish directly all the important work
4 formerly transacted in conventions
In the primary the voters name the
district delegates and alternates and
the delegates at large and alternates
at large to the national conventions
Not only that, but the voters instruct
all these delegates how to vote fol
president and vice president. What
| then, remains for state or district
convention to do?
4 State conventions in presidential
years always have adopted platforms
These state platforms necessarily are
i more or less Of q joke and often
prove positively ssssschievous: sim
gle state can not dictate the party
attitude on national issue. 1t mus
be necessity be settled in council
cf all the states. When state speaks
first. the voters OF that state may g
thru the campaign on state plat