New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-13
THE BOSTON ALUMNrs PLAN.
THE PRIMARY BILL DISCUSSED.
SENATORS FORD AND GUY AND MESSRS.
LEIIMAIER AND BARCUS BEFORE
THE INDEPENDENT CLUB or
THE XXIST DISTRICT.
THE MIST DISTRICT.

meeting of tho Independent Club OF the XXIst
Assembly District. was held at the clubhouse. No
re West Ono hundred nd hfth-st. las; evening IN
order 10 discuss the proposed primary elections
legislation. There fairly large attendance Of
members. William y. Ellison. president Of the club
being In the chair. In short opening speech he
said that. owing TO tho importance Of the proposed
changes in tho primary laws. the club had thought
IT advisable 10 invite men Of varying convictions
TO give their Views on the question.
Senator John Ford. Republican. tho first
speaker. He said that he regarded the Primary
bill now In the Legislature as Of equal. If not
greater. Importance than the Blanket Ballet law
He did not contend that # perfect measure
There was sometimes tendency to Judge public
measures by comparison with the ideal The
millennium had not come yet but the proposed
law went great way toward realizing the ideal.
a primary was almost important tson.
but. while the latter had been continually safe
guarded more and more by legislation. until now
the system was nearly perfect. the primaries had
hitherto been practically ignored He believed that
the Dill would become a law. There no dis
position at Albany to block It's progress. II threw
around the primaries safeguards similar TO those
surrounding elections. 1t took them away from
the control Of the County Committee ard put them
under the control and laws of the State. lie be-
heved that If the bin were passed. there would
never again be breath of suspicion against the
honesty Of the primary elections.
Senator Charles l.. Guy Independent Democrat.
Followed He said that he was in favor Of the
passage OF a primary bill. and he had not altered
his determination TO vote for the bill as last pre-
scented. II clause that had. in spite of all the
care expended. been found unconstitutional were
stricken out. Nevertheless he could help feel
Ing certain that their many secret caucuses showed
that those who had drafted the bill
anxious to unity the Republican party than to
purify the primaries. Senator Ford had said that
the blanket ballot almost perfect, but there
L.,
In the interest OF the machines Senator Guy then
proceeded TO crclse of the clauses Of the
bill He said that the law as given in the BILL did
not apply 10 primaries for local elections where
80 per cent Of the frauds have prevailed The result
Of the law would be that there would be n Republic
can county machine and also Republican Cly
machine and in the Democratic parry II would be
third class were barred unless the General Com
mittee should ask that the act be applied in those
machines What made Black Governor OF Sew
York but the rottenness OF Troy? ut Guy ASKED
Under the proposed bill Troy would be 'tlt on, OF
It's working. well as Albany. The speaker would
stake his reputation as iawyer I4a. nT or
ton of legislative power TO genera co ON OF
otherwise to party boss was absolutely uncohsti-
tutlonal The bin had been practically slam oy
concealed enemies, although he woud VOC loi H.
unless it still more changed for the worse
IN the same way as he sang bhs STAR S"Sie'
James S Lehmaier, of tie General Committee OF
hat he had taken part in several conferences TO
consider primary reform, but he no longer recog-
his adherence in the edition issued on n March
which he believed had already been followed by
Two other editions" Unless the Legislature gave
them a bill above suspicion the Independent Repub-
lcans would rot be satished. Mr.. Iehmaler then
proceeded to criticse sharply many Of th" pro
visions of the bill among them the holding or the
primaries in June. which would he said. give tlne
before the September nominations for the deiegateS
to be corrupted by offers of patronage. Inc
primaries should be held few days before the
convention If the bill row offered were not
amended il would simply he a means OF leGahzlnS
the machines OF both parties
course Of his remarks he said that such adages az
Half loaf is better than bread" did not apply
TO such measures as this Suppose a bridge were
asked for they would not thank the Legislature
for building half of II. This Dlll was something
ike half bridge. and il would be well II they ana
not allow their enthusiasm for the bridge TO result
in trying to cross II and being submerged by the
machines Mr. BaTCus added that the worst evil
Of ali. the regulation Of the caucus that always
took place before every primary was untouched by
the bill and the voters would still be unaware for
whom they were expected 10 vote before the day
Of the primaries.
Resolutions approving the provisions q the so
called Union Lea que bill as originally drawn in 50
far ~ the~samr permitted and recognized non
partisausrip In municipal affairs. but opposing
oth nor f-afU