The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-11-18
To KILL PRIMARY
Well Organized Effort to AbOl-
ish Election Plan.
Legislative Plot to Defeat
Double Vote Scheme.
BACK TO CONVENTION FORM
Compromise May Be Return
to Local Primaries.
Cost Has Been Dollar for
Every Vote Cast.
BACK TO CONVENTION FORM

The state wide primary may go out
of business during the next session of
the state legislature. At least three
mem bers of the legislature are COM
ing to Topeka with a grim determine
ton to put the Skids under the law.
This week j. T. Botkin, secretary of
state, went on record, in declaration
that the primary is a failure. The
Shawnee county Republican league
took a swat at the reform. Returns
from over the state indicate that prob
ably a majority of the new law max
ers have quietly declared their oppo-
sition to the law.
1t is doubtful if the legislature viii!
seek to repeal the present law in it's
entirety. But some of the members
have plans which will put decided
kink in the present operation of the
act. There is little opposition to the
optional county primary system. The
state wide primary law, however, is
decidedly in bad standing with various
members and the measure is quite
certain to come under the chopping
block at some time in the session.
Three Republican members of the
1917 house-Brown of Greenwood.
Martin of Reno, and Taylor of Wa
baunsee-are coming to the session
with positive and definite plans for
the repeal of the present law. They
will probably introduce bills calling
Other measures changing the law to
provide only for optional local prima
ries will probably be introduced. A
compromise in the fight may mean a
return to the optional county primary
PLAN altho an effort may be made to
force a vote on a bill to repeal the en-
tire law.
Back to Conventions.
Repeal of the primary law will
mean a return to the convention sys-
tenn. Many men and women, how
ever, have declared their positive OPP
position to the primary plan as oper-
ated in Kansas.
Figures compiled on several occa-
sions are said to have shown that the
statewide primary costs the taxpayers
an average of a dollar for every vote
polled. In addition to this enormous
expense, is an added expense to the
candidates Another argument ad-
vanced in the demand for repeal of
the law is the claim that the voters
do not cast an intelligent ballot when
| they enter the booth to vote for can
didates for state offices. In local con-
| tests the voters are acquainted with
various candidates and have a fair
knowledge of their qualifications. But
enemies of the primary plan declare
an intelligent expression is impossible
under the primary system.
| 1.-The primary election law is right
| in principle, but in my judgment is
! impractical as statewide PROPOSE
/ ton and should be amended so as to
apply only to county nominations"
was a declaration this week by j. T.
Botkin, secretary of state. Botkin is
the first state official openly to take a
stand against the primary. His in
dictment of the law is known to have
at least the moral support of other
state officials. Whether the legisla-
ture will take a definite stand against
the law is a matter of uncertainty, al
tho claims have been made that ma
| jority is known to be opposed to the
law in its present form.
Repeal Is Urged.
Following the speech by Botkin this
week the Shawnee County Republican
League demanded at least radical
changes in the law. Many of the mem
bers of the league were openly OPP
posed to the law in its present form
and urged its repeal Speaking be-
fore the league, Botkin declared it is
: impossible to secure an intelligent
vote in the state wide primaries. at
is no reflection on either the integ-
rity or the intelligence of the people
to say that they are not competent to
vote intelligently on the vast number
! of state candidates presented at each
succeeding primary said Botkin
That will be one of the big argu-
ments before the legislature. Added