The San Francisco call., 1897-12-13
Speakers of National Reputa-
ton Will Present Their
Views.
PRIMARY ELECTIONS ONE
OF THE SUBJECTS.
Changes In Laws Required In Order
to Get All Voters to Attend
the Primaries.
Special Dispatch to THE CALL

NEW YORK, Dec. 12.-The following
call was given out tonight by Ralph NJ
Easiey, secretary OF the Civic Federation
OF Chicago, who has been acting for q
large mum Der OF reform and quasi-politicaI
organizations the past three weeks. The
object of this conference is 10 bring to-
gether men with practical ideas from all
the large cities, especially from States
where substantial progress has baen made
in reform. The programme will include
speeches by men of national reputation in
both political parties as well as represent
a!ives from practical men as to the work
ing of various laws now governing pri-
mary election caucuses.
Considerable attention will be given to
the question, How to get voters out to
the primaries after fair laws are secured ?"
Special interest will be taken in reports
from New York, Massachusetts,, Mary
land, Illinois, New Jersey and Ohio, when
legislators will then be in session and
considering primary election laws Head
quarters will be opened at the Hotel Man
haitian, New York. on the 9th inst.
Believing that our caucus or primary cleo
tlon customs and Ia ws lie a the very root and
source OF our entire elective franchise system
and that the result of our larger cities is due
in q large measure to the defects in such prac-
tices and customs, it therefore follows that to
purify This system is 10 take u long te D in the
direction of honesty, economy, efficiency in
every branch OF the public service, and further
believing that the enactment OF laws to pre-
vent corrupt caucus practices and throw the
safeguards OF regular election around the
caucus or primary, Will encourage many good
citizens TO take part therein, We, the under
signed, Tor the purpose OF discussing and dis
covering as lar as possible the precise defects
In tho various systems which now obtain and
the remedies, and 10 take such action a. may
seem wise IN the premises, do hereby join in
calling conference OF persons interested in
said question TO convene in the city OF New
York on the 14th and Is h days of January
1898.
We deem: 1t desirable that the conference be
made up of men from all parts of the country
and without regard 10 party or factional al
Among the sinners OF the call are: Mayor
Wltllam l.. Strong, ex-MGyor Abram S. Hewitt,
ex-Minister to Turkey Oscar L. Strauss Presi.
dent OF the Board of Trade Darwin r. James,
John Z. MiIhOlland, eX. City Cham berlain
William NJ. lvens, Willis j. Abbott, Albert
shaw, William Br0okde d, Gustav Schwartz,
Postmaster Cornelius Van Cott, Carl Schurz,
Dorman B. Eaton; Henry Randall Waite pres
ident of the American Institute of CiVics; B.
F. Gi!kison, secretary League American Mn
inequalities; George X McAneny secretary OF
the National Civil Service League; f. l. God
kin; Lyman J. Gage. Secretary United States
Treasury; Melville Z. Stone, general manager
of the Associated Press; William T. Baker,
president OF the Board of Trade, Ch icago; !;
Thomas NJ. Boyan, president of the Union
League Club, Chicago; John V. FarweIl Jr
president OF the Merchants Club. Chicago
Thomas F. Hoyne, president OF the Iro-
quois Club, Chicago; F. G. Paulding
president OF the Marquette Club, Chicago;
Jesse HOldom, president Hamilton Club Chi
cago; T. n. Jameson, National Republican
Committeeman, Chicago; H. B. Healy, presi-
dent Northwestern University, Chicago;
George A. Tollas by, president Bar Association,
Chicago; Adolph Nathan, president Civic Fed
GRAFTON, Chicago; George E. Cole, president
Municipal Voters League, Chicago; +. G.
Schel, national organizer Epworth League
Chicago; Henry Wade Rogers, president
Northwestern University, Chicago; S A. Viii
son. secretary Federation of Labor, Chicago;
j. II. Gilbert Roy o. West, William II. Harper
Franklin H MacVeagh, Thomas C. Macmillan,
William A. Giles, Ralph NJ. Easley, William C.
Hollis ter, Joseph O'Donneu. G. F. Rush,
Edward insley, E; G. Keith. N. A. Par,
fridge, Luther Latin Mills, John W
Ella, Lawrence p. Boyle, George L.
Douglas. Chicago: E NJ. Hoffman, Sheriff
Joseph p. McCOrd, Joseph D. Gather Jr.;
Roger W. Gull, chairman OF the Reform
League; G. W. Rauschen berger, Mayor of Mil
waukee; john a. Butler, president of the
Municipal League; John c. Spencer, president
Merchants Association; F. H. Bott, II. A. J.
Upham, John Johnson. John T. Burke, GEN
eral Way Mixson, Charles Best, f. &. Bacon
c. E. Monroe, A. r. Butler, James G. Flanders
James Kinsley, W.T. Duraud; c. G. Stern