The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-02-06
THE PROPOSED
CAUCUS Law.
Hearing Before the House Com
mittee on The Judiciary.
Mr.. BICKNELL'S OBJECTIONS.
He Does Not Favor The Limitation on the
Bill as 10 Political Parties.
A SOCIALIST LABOR MANS VIEW.
The Proposed Method Of Making Up State Com
mItises Objectionable 10 his Party Mr..
Richard 8 comsiocs faors he Bill.
He Does Not Favor the Limitation on the
Bill as TO Political Parties.
A SOCIALIST LABOR MANS VIEW.

The judiciary committee of the House
of Representative gave a hearing, in
the House chamber. at IL o'clock Jhis
morning TO all persons interested la
the bin relative to political committees
and caucusses which is known as the
new caucus bin" Hon. W. ". Blod-
gett Of Pawtucket. chairman OF The
committee presided. and he said he
hoped that the committee would clearly
receive any information that was avail
able
Chairman Blodgett handed Clerk
Rhodes a letter from Lyman B. Goff OF
Pawtucket, which said that the writer
was in faSpr of caucus reform. and he
believed that the best law in force was
that in vogue in the state of Kentucky.
The bill 10 be consI Ierel was then
taken up by sections, and upon section
. which refers TO the terms used re-
Iating to caucuses. Mr.. Thomas w.
Bickncll took the floor AMI said that
while i'm relation to state matters he
was Republican, he was in
city affairs connected with the
Good Government party, and as such
he objected to the clause which pro-
vdes that the term political party
shall only apply 10 a political party
which AIT the next preceding annual
election polled for governor at least
two percent. OF the entire vote cast in
the state for that office. He protested
against this clause and he suggested
that 1t should apply TO the vote polled
for corresponding offices in the city or
state"
Mr.. Bicknell stated the Good Govern
memt party had no state committee. but
had a city committee consisting of
two members from each ward of the
city of Providence. The nominations of
the party were made in convention. He
believed that the declaration Of prin-
ciples of the party was such that 1t
would soon be extended throughout the
state. He was not very strong friend
of the caucus law although he saw
much that was good i'm it. - thought
however, that something better could
be evolved
4 representative Of the Socialist-L.a-
Dor party spoke in relation TO section 3,
which treats OF the makeup OF state
committees. because he claimed that
the section was not in sympathy with
the views entertained by the party he
represented. His party wanted no COM
mittees that would feel that they had
any power, except to carry out the di-
rect orders of the party
Mr.. James u. Read, also n represent
ative Of the Socialist Labor party. fol-
lowed on the same lines as the previous
speaker, and entered a strong protest
against the clause providing for the
appointment of state committees.
Mr. Richard II. Comstock stated that
he appeared i'm favor of the act and he
said he desired to compliment the gen
tlemen who had drawn the bill. for he
believed that they had done their work
i'm a very able manner. He held that
II was neither right or honest for "A
man 10 go into one political caucus and
then put his name on nominations for
another political party. or vote i'm an
entirely different political caucus. He
did not believe any fair man would OBJ
iect TO the bill as drawn. He thought
il might be better II the two per cent.
vote for governor was eliminated, but
the objection was not strong enough to
make him oppose the passage of the
bill. and he hoped IL would pass.
MIR. Bicknell again took the floor To
speak on the section providing that the
voting iss to -hN-hallot. but he ac-
Cepted an explanation from Mr.. John
r. Blodgett OF the committee, and then
suggested that the polls should be kept
open from 2:30 y. m. TO $3.50 y. m.
instead of from n. m. to 9:30 y. m, lis
the bill provided. He objected 10 the
bill because II referred 60 Providence
and Pawtucket alone and he held that
IL II was "a good bin 1t should be given
to every CITY and town I'm the state.
He also held the expenses for the eau
cuses should be paid by the cities and
towns. An enabling act would permit
the other parts Of the state 10 accept
tho act III they SO desired
Mr.. Charles D. kimhall said that the
trainers of the bill were confronted with
conditions and not theories. He thought
n would be absurd 10 keep the polls
omen for several hours i'm the afternoon.
when only a very few votes would be
cast lie believed that the first Mas
sachusetts law only provided for keep
ing the polls open For a short time.
Section OF the act provides for the
makeup of the city, ward and district
committees I'm Providence ana Paw
.ucl<ct. and on this Mr.. Lellan j. Tuck
Of Pawtucket spoke. lie said there
were "A goodly number of men in Paw
tucket. men i'm business and profession
AL llfr. who were dcbavrcd from taking
uart la caucus I'm that city as long as
they arc conducted under the present
rVstcnl. lie wanted 90 see proper
cnucus law passed that would put an
rud to the present state of affairs. Mr.
proyidcu that the chairman of the sew
oral ward committees i'm each ward
shall compose city committee for the
citv. 10 wanted a caucus law and he
hopod Pawtuckot could have one.
civ clerk Roberts Of pawtucket
n. "a several questions and then said
that h. believed that On" holding or cau-
yuscs i'm cnch voting district. as FAR as
paWtucket was concerned. would result
Am more or less confusion in the count
iug ~ tho ballots. and DE believed that
thr real intent of Che act would be
ignored.
The hearing was continued until well
ON into the afternoon hours several
p,i-sous FROM Prove lenea and paWtuck-
IL helng heard. Many of these. lnciud-
ing GUher T.. Whltttp,re OF this city.
favored the passage of ;hc bll while
others were in favor 90 making certain
amendments. which they believed would
better meet tho exe"encics of the sit
ua-ipn.