The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-13
BRICKBATS AND BOUQUETS
Governor Cap2er Is Both Compliment
ed and Condemned in Veto.

oPiiilonS OlIIer WlOely over 0OVer-
nor Capper's veto of the Mack ballot
bill. Many people have complimented
Governor Capper for his action; 9TH
ers have strongly condemned him.
among the former is P. P. Camp
Dell, Republican congressman from the
Third Kansas district: among the lat
ter is j. I. Botkin. secretary of state,
both of whose statements are printed
below.
The Council of Clubs of Kansas City,
Kansas, which claims to be 500 mem
bers strong. praises the governor and
said: The new ballot measure would
have been step backward"
Governor Capper has been sccused
of listening to Democrats and Social
lists and ignoring Republicans. One
Republican, who is very much excited
under the collar over the matter, says;
THE endorsement of Governor Cap
per's veto of the new ballot law by
leading Democratic paper must be
delightful reading for the Republican
house members who are called the
gang" the governor kicked out of his
office The governor has sold out to
the Democrats who are patting him
on the back Let him take his medi-
cine. 1t was a blunder. Everyone IA
miliar with the work of the primary
in Kansas knows full well that changes
were badly Observation-Disclosures the
ballot was one way. The old form
bothered both men and women.
Speaking of the old Guard the only
place l met them was in Governor
Capper's office-smoke that in your
pipe The new crowd are not to be
dictated to by Governor Capper or his
gang Remem Der that"
Mr.. Botkin says:
MIR. Botkin's Statement.
On the other hand, Tom Botkin, of
Galena, secretary of state, yesterday is
sued signed statement attacking Gov
ernor Capper for. yetoing the bill. Bot
Kin urged in many places and in many
speeches, and. at every opportunity. after
election and preceding the meeting of the
,,egls!alure, that the present primary law
be repealed. or at least deleted of the pri-
mary feature Failing in that, Botkin be-
came an ardent advocate of doing away
with the Massachusetts ballot law as be-
Ing along the same line.
In his statement, in addition to at
lacking the Massachusetts ballot law as
impractical and unfolding the party circle
playing politics." Botkin declares that If
Governor Capper should run for United
States senator, his veto of the Mack ballot
law Will be used against him in the pri-
mary-therefore, Botkin reasons, the gov
acceded to the desires of the party poll
ticians and signed the bill. Botkin has
been talked of III certain quarters as Il
prospective candidate Tor governor On the
Republican ticket. and has never denied
that he would like to be. In his state
ment Botkin makes it plain that he would
not have refused to play politics, and
would have signed the bill in a hurry
Botkin Threatens kick Back"
Should he become Il candidate for
United States senator on the Republican
ticket next year, the veto of this bill will
likely he made an issue in the primary
campaign" threatens Botkin. Contrast
with tins the statement from Congressman
in any event, the Massachusetts ballot
law provides for Intelligent voting, which
hope the law may not be changed from the
ballot law to the Old system of voting in
the circle.
The Botkin statement in full follows:
Topeka. March 10. 1917
Governor Capper has vetoed house bill
No. ol5 amending the Massachusetts bal
lot law The only important change made
i'll the present law by this bill WAS that
1t permitted the voter to vote straight
trouble of marking each individual candi-
date. The form of ballot provided for was
practically the same as that provided by
the present law and the Independent voter
would have enjoyed the same opportunity
to exercise his right to vote his sentiments
without regard to party as he enjoys I'M
ther and provided way for the voter to
| express. his party preference and at the
same time to vote for the candidates of
other parties and thus rebuke his own
party should it fail to name competent and
efficient candidates. The bill gave no right
or privilege to any voter or candidate that
was denied to or withheld from any other
voter or candidate. 1t simplified the man
ner of voting to the extent that it guar
anteed to the voter the sacred right to
vote straight party ticket and to do so
easily and intelligently and without fear
of invalidating his ballot
Those General Election Figures.
Our present form of ballot is cumber-
some. complicated, impractical, hard to
understand and hard for the average voter
TO vote inteliigentiy This is simply prov
en- by the returns of the elections of 1911
and 1916, the only elections so far held
I -i-io taf al nn
in 1914 there were $4,000 more votes cast
for all the candidates for governor than
were cast for all the candidates for state
auditor. At the general election last fall
there were $4,000 more votes cast for pres
ident in this state than were cast for gov
ernor and $1,000 more votes cast for pres
ident than were cast for the state officers
below governor. No intelligent man will
claim that this wide difference in the num-
her of votes cast for these officers was in
territorial. The discrepancy was due to the
complicated form of ballot and it will be
hard for the governor to convince the
average voter that any law that tends to
simplify our manner of voting is Al step
backward, as he suggests in his veto mes
In vetoing this bill the governor states
that under our present law the number
minimum" / doubt if careful investi
CATION of the two elections held under it
would verify this statement ] recall but
would bring to light the number of spoiled
ballots cast and that is the case of Mahin
VS.. Whitney before the present state sen
ate While that case was decided adj
versely to Mr.. Mahin. the sworn state
ments on file in the case show conclusive
ly that in sixteen precincts in Smith coun-
ty alone, seventy-four ballots were thrown
out and that sixty-two doubtful ballots
were counted, making a total of 136 doubt
full or defective ballots in the sixteen
precincts These sixteen precincts cast a
total of 1902 votes. The voters of Smith
county will compare favorably in point
of intelligence with the average voter of
the state vet if the same ratio of spoiled
or defective ballots runs thru the entire
state it means a total of more than 5000
spoiled or defective ballots at the last
general election. Add to these the $1,000
votes that were lost to the state officers at
the same election and you have an array
of figures that would seem TO demand
change in our present system of voting.
Lack of Party Spirit-BOtkin-
Friends of the governor in and out of
the legislature believe he has made grave
mistake in vetoing this bill The Mack