The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-02


other county offices ........ 10
The money must be paid to the sec
rotary of state for the big offices, and
the county candidates must hand 1t
over to the sheriff. The secretary then
pro-rates his fund to the counties OF
the various districts, for instance, each
county in a senatorial district wouio
get its share Of the state senator's
$40. The act provides any balance re-
naming after the election expenses
have been paid shall be used for
county purposes.
For Only Two Parties.
One of the first things the primary
law does, as perusal Of 1t will dis
close, is to bar, by neat sequence
of phrases, all parties except the two
leading ones, Republican and Demo-
cratic. In defining, what is party
at the very outset, the act says:
A political party shall be taken
to be an utilization Of electors rep
resenting a political party or or
ganization, which at the last pre-
ceding general election polled for
its candidate for representatives
in Congress in the several dis
tricts at least three per cent OF
the entire vote cast for that Of
fee in the state.
1t so happens, at least for the pres
ent in West Virginia, that none Of the
parties in the last preceding election,
except the Republicans and Democrats
polled more than three per cent OF
the entire vote cast for congressman
in their respective districts. Some of
the parties didn't have candidates for
Congress in all of the districts.
But while these minority parties are
kept out Of the big tent, they have a
chance to get in through the annex
before the election is held, and that is
by the petition route. 1t is set out,
however, that no petitions may be cir
culated until after the primary, and
the petitions are hedged about as fol-
lows, in the text of the act. section %:
Candidates for public office
may be nominated otherwise than
by direct primary election. In
such case, certificate shall be
signed by voters resident within
the state. district or political d.
vision for which the candidate Is
presented, to a number equal to
five per cent OF the entire vote
cast at the last preceding election
in the state circuit, district, coun-
ty or other division for which the
nomination is made. No voter
signing such certificate shall be
counted unless his residence and
postoffice address be designated.
Such certificates shall state the
name and residence of each OF
such candidates; that he is leg
ally qualified to hold such office;
that the subscribers desire and
are legally qualified to vote for
such candidates; and may des-
ignate, by not more than five
words, brief name of the party
or principle which said candi-
date represent. No person shall
be legally qualified to sign such
a certificate who participated in
a direct primary election held in
accordance with this act. Every
person not legally qualified to
sign such a certificate and who
subscribes his name to the same
shall be guilty OF misdemean-
or.
Such certificates shall not be
circulated to be signed by voters
until after the direct primary
election provided for in this act
and such certificates shall be filed
within the time and with the same
officers as is prescribed by law
for making up Of the official bal
lot and all candidates nominated
by signing OF such certificates
shall pay the sums as provided
for in section 2S Of this act and
unless such sums have been so
paid no candidate so nominated
shall be eligible to hold the office
for which he Is candidate
Begin In March.
While the date for the primary is
Tune 6. the fireworks begins along