Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-09-17

MUST CHOOSE r

Tuesday Indicated by 30 ooing that
they propose to vote at the primary
September rs. The primary is strict
ly q party affair. 1t II not an cleo
ton as much as It a selection. 1t Is
the time when the respective parties
pick their candidates for the general
election November 2.
Naturally, the Republicans are not
going to permit the Democrats to
have a part in selecting Republican
candidates, neither are the Demo
Gratis going to permit the Republi-
cans 70 have a say as to who the
Democratic candidates will be. To
allow the opposition to help name
candidates might mean the selection
of the poorest material because The
opponents would be anxious to have
the rival party name the candidates
that would be the easiest to beat. 1t
would be the desire of the Demo
Gratis, of course, to have weak Re-
publican candidates. and the Repub-
leans would aim to have weak
Democratic candidates. Thus should
the primaries be open to anyone to
vote in, the selection might degen-
crate in to a contest OF picking the
worst instead Of the best candidates.
To avoid this there are really two
primaries conducted at the same
time, one called the Republican pri-
mary and the other the Democratic
primary. Both primaries are con-
Quoted at the same time and at the
same place. There are two ballot
boxes used, side by side. There are
also two ballots, one having the
names of the men who desire to be-
come the regular Democratic candi-
dates, and the other ballot bear
ing the names Of the Republic
cans who desire TO be the candidates
Of that party.
Upon entering the voting place.
therefore,, the voter must decide
which ballot he or she will choose.
This means that every woman who
votes in the primary must indicate
her politics; either she must choose
the Republican or the Democratic
ballot. Thus every woman must
have some idea as to which party
she intends to affiliate with before
she goes to the primary.
But the voter does not have to
vote a straight Republican or a
straight Democratic ticket at the
general election November 2 just be-
cause she voted in the Republican or
Democratic primary, as the case may
be. AS a matter Of fact, the ballot
at the general election contains the
names of the candidates OF all the
parties and as the voting is secret,
that is, no one is permitted to see
the ballot after the voter has mark
ed il until the votes are counted, no
one is able to tell how the voter
votes. It would be possible, there
fore. for the voter to vote in the
Democratic primary and at the gen.
eral election not vote for a single
Democratic candidate. The fact Is
however, that If the voter should be
challenged at the primary, he mus
be prepared to swear that at the
last general election he voted
for a majority Of the candidates OF
the party in which primary he is
voting, and that he INTENDS to
vote for a majority of the candidates
of that party at the coming genera.
slection.
In the Ease of the women, they
annot swear that they voted for 9
majority Of the party candidates las
year because they did not vote a
all last year, but they ought TO b
ready to swear. should they be chal,
lenged, that they INTEND. to vot'
for 2 majority of the Republican o.
Democratic candidates. as the cas-
may be, at the coming general cleo
ton.
In n case, it will be necessar,
for every oma who Intends to vot'
at the primary one week from Tues
day 10 make W her mind with whicl
part she intends to affiliate. She vii
then be known either as a Republi
can or a Democrat. according t
which primary she votes in. the tw
ballot boxes standing side by side o
primary day.
OF course. there are other partie
besides the Republican and Demo
cratic parties. There r the So
ciaIist party. Prohibition party. an
several other minor parties. but non
Of these parties have primaries b
rauss their total vote at the gener'
election IS not sufficient under II
law FOR them to have a primary q
heir own. They have to nominal
their candidates By convention an