The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-07
Skeleton Submitted b. the Subcom-
mittee Materially Changed After
~olong Discussion.
BILL WILL NOW BE PREPARED
A. c. HARRIs's COMMITTEE WILL
HAVE CHARGE OF THE WORK.
The Measure VIII He Ready to he
Presented to the General Com
mittee on Nov. 10.

When Addison c.. Harris's nonpartisan
subcommittee gets a chance to read its
list OF suggestions, as revised at the meet
ing of the Commercial Club Primary Law
Commission last night, it is probable that
somebody will have to go through the
ceremony of an introduction. In it's
patched-up form, Topped off here and graft
ed there, the present list of suggestions
for the formation Of a primary reform bill
is about as unlike the original list as
anything could be. That the eliminations
and additions will be productive of good
is the firm belief, expressed at least by
a number of politicians of the sort called
practical who took part in the interesting
but extremely long deliberations of the
commission.
The upshot of the nights work was the
appointment of a committee to prepare a
primary reform bill to be submitted to the
next Legislature, based on the revised list
Of suggestions prepared last night. The
personnel of the committee is the same as
Of the nonpartisan subcommittee that got
the vast amount of suggestions, opinions,
experiences. admissions, confessions, hopes,
fears, doubts, beliefs, entreaties and warn
ings into shape for presentation to the
commission. Addison G. Horris is the
chairman; the Republican members are
Roscoe O.. Hawkins. Charles N. Thomp-
son and A. O.. Marsh; the Democratic,
o w. Kern, Edgar A. Perkins and j.
f. Mccullough. This committee will re-
port a bill on Nov. 10, at a meeting Of the
commission which will accept or reject its
final labors.
Like other meetings of the gentlemen
of both parties interested in the solution
of the problem of primary reform the
meeting last night was keenly of interest
because of the heart-to-heart condolences
expressed, and the confessions that were
made for the public good. Party secrets
in arguments that grew warm were a
trifle more than limited at, and Democrats
and Republicans laughed at the sins they
had committed In past elections while sin
cerely deploring the necessity to sin. John
w. Kern, Mayor Bookwalter, Charles Mar
tindale and others alluded to political
events that have hardly got cold in bas-
ing their arguments for one action or an
other. and there were some decidedly in
teresting hints on how things are done
from the inside.
SUBCOMMITTEE'S REPORT.
The commission got to work on the sub
committees suggestions section by section.
Every section was fully considered and ar
gued. and although the prominent gen.
tlemen present were never at one time in
full agreement, there was no lack of il
luminative discussion. The report of the
subcommittee as it was considered by the
commission is as follows:
"First-Fix a time within which prima-
ries for nominating local candidates or
delegates shall be held.
Second-Provid a uniform method Of
organization and duty for the primary
boards. and that the County Commission
ers shall appoint boards of primary cleo
ton commissioners from the members Of
each political party holding a primary; the
members to be freeholders and not office
holders and members of no political COM
mittee, and make it the duty of this county
primary board to appoint the primary cleo
ton boards for their respective parties.
"Third-The time has come when 1t Is
necessary that we should have a practical
registration law. 1t might be made a part
of this law to register the voters politically,
and provide that no one should vote at a
primary whose name is not properly en-
rolled as a member Of his party. 1t seems
unwise to permit any one to take a part
in the nominations who will not vote for
the party ticket.
"Fourth-The parties should hold their
primaries separately. This, of course,
means that eacn party organization must
every party man is willing to do his share
of party work for party success. These
party elections need only be held in wards
voting machines come into general use the
expense will be much lessened. II the
costs of the primary are to be paid out of
to save expense the primaries should be
held jointly. Where this practice has been
adopted it is often found that men of one
party vote for the candidates of the other
In order to bring about the nomination of
the least fit or most unpopular candidate
Of the adverse party, and thus gain an ad-
vantage at the election. Under either mode
the county should be furnished and the
same should be delivered at the respective
voting places. cared for and returned at
"Fifth-It is thought that 1t is for the
best interest of party organization and
public welfare at present to permit the
party voters in each county to determine
in a fair way to be provided by law wheth-
er they desire to nominate their local cam
didates by a direct primary or at a dele
gate convention.
''Sixth-In delegate conventions each del
egate should have the right to vote for
the candidate of his choice by a written
secret ballot. There is no apparent reason
for the secret ballot at the polls which
does not apply with equal force to the pri-
vate ballot in a convention.
"Seyenth-One argument In support Of q
delegate convention Is that 1t requires at
least a majority of the delegates present to
make a nomination. One against
a direct primary nomination is that often
the nominee is not. as appears by the vote
at least, the first choice of the majority of
his party voters. A plurality dominates,
and ii is possible for a candidate, feeling
that he cannot the majority of
the votes of his party, 20 break up the ad-
verse votes into fragments by inducing
enough persons to become candidates so
that his fragment of the party vote gives
Some practical mode should be devised so
that every nominee shall be the choice of
the majority Of the persons making the
nomination"
INSLEY'S RESOLUTION.
In taking up Section /, Mr.. Insley pre-
sented a resolution as a substitute. 1t was
passed after considerable reminiscent de-
bate. The resolution follows: 1.-The pri-
maries of all parties preceding the biennial
state and general elections in counties con-
tanning cities of more than 5000 population
shall be held not earlier than the 1st of Sep
TENDER, or later than the LIST of October.
The primaries preceding a local election
shall be held not less than three nor more
than five weeks prior to the election. These
limitations shall not apply to the time for
holding a primary to elect delegates to a
national, state or district convention"
On the second section of the Sub-commff-