The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-15
Would Give Every Voter Indi.
.yidual Ballot for President.
Compromises Primary and Con-
ventiOn Plan Ideas.
HAS "GOOD POINTS" OF BOTH
Provides for Both State and
County Conventions.
Would Compel the Use of
Straight Party Tickets.

One of the first bills introduced in
the senate when it met for business
today was by Senator w. F. Schoch of
! Shawnee, and if it becomes a law the
Kansas voter and candidate will be
given the benefits of combination of
the good points of both the primary
and the convention, and every voter
in the state will have the privilege of
individually expressing his choice for
presidential candidates.
The Schoch bill probably provides
for the most radical compromise
changes ever suggested by those who
are dissatisfied with the present pri-
mary law and if it is enacted the party
council will automatically go out of
existence.
The bill provides for the amend
ment and repeal of four sections of
the primary law now in force. On or
before May Is of each year in which
a president and vice president are to
be elected and on or before June 5 of
each alternate years it provides that
state conventions shall be held at such
time and at such place as the state
central committees of each party des-
ignate and delegates shall be elected
to attend this convention from each
county in the state. County conven-
lions shall be held to name these dele
gates.
The county conventions provided for
are to be composed of delegates and
alternates elected at a primary held
at time and place named by the sec
rotary of state.
May Vote individually.
In a year when president and vice
president are to be elected the ticket
for the selection of delegates to the
above mentioned county convention
shall provide whereby the individual
voter may secretly express his choice
for president and vice president The
hours for voting will be between 1 p.
m. and 9 p. m.
Under the Schoch proposal there
would be no scratching of tickets by
the individual voters at the county
| prima ries. Each voter would be re-
| ouired to declare his party affiliations
and vote the ticket of his party and
no other. The candidates for dele
gates or alternates to the county con-
Vention from a precinct may be pro-
posed by petition or by printed or
| written slips.
| In presidential years the bill pro-
vides that the state convention elect
| the number of delegates and alter
mates required to attend the national
| convention, and that these delegates
| be required to vote for the presiden-
| tial candidate chosen at the precinct
| primary.
Power To Convention.
Under the Schoch plan the state con-
! vention would adopt a party declara-
ton of principles and would have pow
er to nominate candidates for all state
! offices except United States senators,
governors, judges of the supreme
| court and members of congress. II
| the name of more than one candi-
| date should be presented for any office
/ the state convention would vote upon
| the several candidates and the names
| of the two receiving the highest num-
Der of votes would be submitted to
! the electors at the primary to be held
| thereafter as now provided by law.
| The bill provides that one delegate
| or alternate to the state convention be
| selected as a member of the state CEN
| trail committee of the party and that
the party council after calling the
first convention cease to exist.
The county convention provided for
| in the bill for the selection of dele
gates to the state convention would
have no power to nominate candidates
| for county offices or members OF the
| legislature, but, if there is only one
| announced candidate for an office, the
convention may declare him the NOM
| inee and the county clerk may enter
| his name on the official ballot for the
ensuing general election
| Another bill introduced by Schoch
| that will undoubtedly have the en-
dorsement of all automobile owners
and the majority of the expert auto
mobile mechanics of the state, pro-
| VideS that all mechanics employed In
| garages be required to pass an exam
| nation ard hold a license issued by
| the state. Like horse and human doc
| tors, the car doctors will be placed
under state supervision if the Schoch
| measure becomes a law.
The bill also provides that when
| a man has had his car repaired at
| garage he has a right to demand to
see the time cards of the employees for
the time his car was in the hospital
and this will permit him to tell wheth-
| er or not more time is charged
| against him than was actually put in
on his car.
| Schoch would issue three grades of
\ license certificates, one to master me-
| chanics. one to mechanics and one to
| apprentices. He believes the real auto
mechanics will welcome such a law.
despite the fact that they will have TO
pay a license fee. because it will re-
move the 'blacksrnith'' competition
! and will increase their business. Also.
| it will relieve them of having to undo
| the bungles of the bunglers.
Power To Highway Commission.
| The bill further provides that the
| state highway commissioner be en-
! mechanics who will conduct examina-
lions and issue certificates to those
who qualify to tamper with automo
| biles.
Another feature of the Schoch pro-
posal is that when a garage or a me-
| chanic has worked on car and has
failed to receive his compensation he
| may file a lien against the car for
/ the labor performed and the Da rts