New Britain herald., 1930-07-09
Nebraska Leader Finds Enemies Have Offered Name of Obscure Grocer to Confuse Issue - h. cumbent Plans Court Battle.

Washington, July UP)-For 27 years in the house and senate. George w. Norris. Nebraska repub- lican insurgent, has been fighing his way through technicalities. This year, however, he is confronted by one which he fears may cost him reelection unless the courts inter- vene.
 The veteran senator's Nebraska opponents haze put up as a candi- date for the republican senatorial nomination another George W. Nor ris, a grocer of Broken Bow, Neo. Both Norrises have the same mid dle name. Nebraska's law forbids any distinguishing mark with can- didate's name on the ballot. Names must even be rotated on the ballots to prevent any candidate gaining the benefit of g preferred position at the head of the list.
 Must Be Distinguished
 q am finished unless the oth2r George w. Norris is kept off the ball. lot or unless some clearly distin- euishing marks are included,' Nor ris told the United Press today. He said that otherwise it would be inn possible for him 10 know whether he was voting for himself or his op- ponent.
 The Nebraska attorney general held that Grocer Norris filing pa pers arrived too late to permit his name 10 go on the ballot, but the secretary of state ruled otherwise. Friends of Senator Norris believe the courts may step in to prevent utter confusion in the primary election.
 The public career of the Nehras- ha insurgent has been one long light against technicalities, marked by his successful effort to overthrow the rule of the late Speaker Cannon and force revision of the iron-clai rules of the house of representatives. Norris has defied the political pow CTS of his party for years, even deserting the presidential ticket in 1928 to support Alfred E. smith. Now he finls himself in danger from an obscure grocer who nap pens to bear his identical name.
 Norris Issues Statement
 In discussing the situation today, Norris .said:-
 "A teregraphic report of the Ne braska attorney generals statement has reached me through Senator Howell and from the facts as stat"d in it, it appears obvious that MT. Norris of Broken Bow has not met legal requirements in filing his naTde for the primary.
 "All applications must be in by July 8. His application reached the secretary of state July ,, but had been mailed July ?. Unless the law as does the income tax law-spe- officially states that the postmark fixes the time, the application or tax return must be in the hands of the proper official at the time set by law and this was not the case Tn this instance.
 But the secretary of state is among my opponents anu "iii cept the application. There Will he a. protest and a hearing before the secretary of state, but he will agan hold the application valid. l am confident the filing was not Nald and that the name can be kept eff the ballot, but even if it were valid I am sure a court of equity would compel inclusion of some distin- gushing marks.
 Otherwise it would be impossible even for myself to enter polling booth and to know for whom l WIS voting; it would be impossible tc count the vote and it would be i'm possible to certify the election"