The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-04-05
TRY TO KILL 1T.
Enemies of Primary Election
Bill Attempt it in Senate.
Load il Down With Obnoxious Amend
ments and Try to Includ
State Officers.

| st. Paul, March 29.-Events in the
senate yesterday showed strong dis
position on the part of the majority
to kill the primary election bill. While
there was no test vote, the senate was
disposed to tack on amendments which
| it was known the house would not
accept. Their effect then may be to
kill the bill, though a change Of senti-
ment set in during the noon recess.
Those who pursued amending tactics
will doubtless admit that they were
standing out for principle.
An amendment to refer the ques-
ton of including state officers under
the operation of the bill to a COM
mittee, which reference was opposed
by all the outspoken friends of the pri-
mary election plan: was carried by a
vote of 81 to "a, eight senators not
voting.
When the bill was called up, Senator
Grindeland offered an amendment pro-
viding that the primaries to any gen.
eral election should be held on the
second Tuesday of June. Before the
discussion had grown warm, Senator
Young moved that congressional and
! judicial offices be exempted from the
operation of the proposed law. He
did not believe in making it too far
reaching Instead of being a govern
! ment of the people we were a govern
ment of political parties, he said. If
they were wiped out, there would be
no source whence party principles
could be enunciated. There would be
: no way to maintain party organization
if the bill with its sweeping provisions
! should be allowed to pass. The pri-
mary election law was perfectly fair
in cities, it was also fair in county
elections, and to lesser extent in
! legislative districts, continued the
speaker. But in the election of dis
trict judges, for instance, the plan
Would not be practicable. Some
judicial districts included seven coun-
ties, and it would be quite impossible
, for the PEG pie to select judge with
as much care as convention.
Senator Johnson proposed another
amendment providing that the pri-
mary election law should not apply
! to the elective members Of school, park
! and library boards Political ques-
tions he said, were never involved at
these elections and they should be
kept out of the primary law. He stat
ed, however, that he was in favor of in
Guiding the state officers, and argued
that if the law was good for congress
men and judges it could not be bad for
state officials
Senator johnson was later permitted
to substitute All amendment to refer
the first Sc ction of the law to special
committee Of three to redraft it SO as
to include state, congressional, judi
cial, Legislative, county and city off
Gals.
In order to be in fashion, Senator
Brewer came forward with a substi-
tute to the johnson amendment that
the committee of three redraft the Sec
ton and leave out the state offices. He
was followed by Senator Potter, who
had motion and an amendment
| which he wanted to submit before the
first section was referred to the com
mittee. The chair refused to recognize
any further motions, however, and
/ Senator Potter undertook to explain
his position. He was called to order
by Senator Sheehan for speaking on a
| question which the chair had efused
F, to entertain.
! Senator j. D. Jones and Schaller got
into the debate, which was complicat-
/ ing the situation somewhat, but finally
Mr.. Brewer withdrew his substitute.
The question was then on the John
son amendment, but Senator Young
demanded division of the question,
so that the senate could vote on one
| set of Offices at a time. The question,
as stated by President Smith, was to
refer section 1 to committee for re-
! drafting so as to include state Offices.
The effect of a vote in favor of the
amendment would be to include in
the bill provision Objectionable to
| the house. The amendment was
passed, however, as noted above
! 1.-The senate is making a grave error
in making this bill ridiculous. de-
clared Senator Young. "The action
of the senate just taken will kill the
bill, for we know that it cannot pass
with the state Offices included. I had
hope that the state Offices would be ex-
cluded. I was willing to include con-
| gressional and judicial offices and will
vote for that end, but will oppose the
proposition to refer this section to a
committee.
Congressional and judicial offices
were, on vote by roll call, included in