The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-08-16
STATE PRIMARY
IS TOO COSTLY
Seems General Opinion In
Kentucky.
ABOUT so CENTS PER VOTER
Is Estimated Cost - Law Is
Proving Unpopular After
Fourth Try.Out.
IL USELESS IN SOME CASES

Lexington, KY, Aug. 12.-The
unpopularity OF kentucky's compul-
sorry primary election law. after its
fourth annual test last Saturday. is
becoming so widespread that its re-
peal by the General Assembly in
1918 would not be surprising. The
politicians and the people have been
counting the cost until both have
declared it excessive, not merely in
dollars and cents, but in the tenden-
cy of the law to keep desirable men
who have no objection to going be-
fore conventions of their parties as
candidates from seeking nomina-
lions to Offices they would fill credit
ably. and in The further tendency
to cause other men, little known
and with no chance for nomination,
to exploit themselves at the expense
of the public and the better men
whom they enter against merely
with q view to securing recognition
in some one of several forms. About
the only feature of the law that now
to the partisan politician is
that it minimizes the votes OF the
voter in the making Ct
nominations.
In several of the eleven congress
sional districts there was no opposi.
ton at the primary election last
Saturday for the Democratic nomi-
nees for Representative and in six
Of the seven the present Congress
men We're renominated. and In all
probability will be reelected. In
one, the Seventh District. a man
who, from the very beginning of his
was known to have not the
ghost of show. kept the polls open
in eight of the IL counties to no
end other than that he should cost
the taxpayers approximately s. for
every vote cast for him. while Rep (
resentative J. Campbell Cantrill.
" ho was ioo puSy WIFI MS uulleS Ut !
and with his additional |
party duties as Democratic State |
Chairman. to make even
a single speech. was renominated by
a majority representing more than
10 to |. In eight of the | | districts
there were contests for Republican !
which will, in all prob
ability. net no more than two Re-
publican Representatives in Con-
gress-the same Two, John w. Lang.
ley and Caleb Powers. now there.
In the other districts the nomina-
tons may, save in the Third, which !
sends Republican to
Washington, be counted empty hon
prs, or. in other words, positions at
The pie counter in the event of the
election of Republican President
In 81 of the 1870 counties of the
State a Republican nomination was
made for Judge of the Court of APP
Deals for the Seventh Appellate
District. and in a few counties NOM
nations to fill vacancies that had
occurred in other minor Offices were !
made.
1t is estimated that the cost to
he taxpayers for holding the pri-
nary election annually is approx
nately $25 per precinct. That COW
RS the pay of election officers, vot-
ng booths, ballots, boxes. stencils,
nix pads, &c. There are few less
han 2,200 precincts in the State. so
he aggregate cost is approximately
i55, 900. The total number of votes
asst in the State by members of both
,arties last Saturday is not availa-
lie at this writing, but it is not risk
ng much to venture that the cost
O the taxpayers per vote is not far
rom SO cents, while to some of the
especially the unsuccess-
ul. the cost for each vote received
nay prove to be considerably in ex-
ess OF $50 when the time and mon
" they devoted to campaigning is
AIKEN into account.