The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-04-19
THE PRIMARY RULES
COMMITTEE REPORTS FOR OPEN
PRIMARIES.
Precinct Clubs Meet in July and
Primaries to be Held on the First
Saturday i'm August

The old question of primaries is again
before the Republican party leaders,
with a division much on the same lines
as during the last party convention.
Two years ago on the floor of the con-
S-nti1u there was a three Gas fight
ovec the rules for voting at primaries,
Judge Humphreys and Lorin Andrews
championing opposing views I'm acrimO-
NOUS debate In fact the two leaders,
then law partners got to the point of
throwing names at one another and
were almost like the honorable mem
bers from South Carolina in the United
States Senate for time. In the END
a rule providing for open" primaries
was adopted.
The subcommittee recently appoint
ed by the Republican Territorial central
committee to revise and cOllate the
rules of the party, has prepared a re-
port which viii be up for discussion
next Saturday evening. The rules are
based almost altogether upon the rules
adopted by the convention. In fact the
members of the committee are doubtful
whether they or the central committee
have the right to change what the con-
vention adopted. The result will prob
ably be a renewal in the next conven-
tiOn of the fight that made the last one
so lively, between the supporters of the
open" primary and those who think
Democrats and Home Rulers from vOt-
ing in a Republican primary.
Section II of the rules as reported by
the revising committee is the one over
which the discussion arises. 1t is as
follows:
"No member Of precinct club shall
be entitled to vote alta primary unless
his name shall have been enrolled in
the club, but any person who will be
a n Z ola
tiOn shall have the right to have his
name enrolled in the club Of the pre-
CinCt in which he will be entitled to
vote, up to the time of the closing of
the polls"
The other rules make the precinct
club the unit Of the party organization
and restrict primary voting to members
of such clubs. so that the whole ques-
ttOn Of who shall vote is involved in
this provision for open membership
rolls of the clubs, until the polls close.
Under this rule any qualified voter in
the any precinct may vote in the Re
publican primary if he enrOlls himself
on the precinct club.
The opposition to this rule proposed
rule by which the only citizens en-
titled to vote In Republican primaries
would be those who were Republicans
in the preceding election. This would
restrict the voting for members of the
Republican convention to acknowledged
members Of the party, and the sup
porters of this view claim that such a
provision is necessary to prevent men
who are not Republicans at all, from
voting In a Republican primary.
The subcommittee on revision of
rules consists of r.. McCants Stewart.
b. II. Wright and DR.. Huddy. This
committee is unanimous i'm reporting
rule Il Lorrin Andrews, as the leader
of the fight for "close" primary, has
been invited to attend the meeting of
the central committee though he is not
a member and he will take part i'm the
discussion There are others opposed
to the open system who may be
heard, and a lively discussion Is ,x-
peCted
Rule II provides for meeting as fol-
lows: Each precinct club shall meet
biennially at 1880 p. m. on the second
Friday i'm July, or upon the call Of the
district or central committee and shall
then make nominations for the officers
OF the club; and on the fourth Friday
i'm July they shall meet at the same
hour elect officers for the ensuing two
years and make nominations for the
members of the district committee to
/ be voted for at primary to be held
on the first Saturday in August be-
tween the hours of ? and 8 o'clock p.
m, or upon the call of the Territorial
central committee or its executive COM
mittee."
! Territorial conventions for the no.
minatiOn of a Delegate to Congress,
/ etc, are to be held during the first
| week Of September, in election years.
| years.
COPIES of the rules have been sent
/ to the members Of the various commit
tees and to other prominent Repubn-
cans, so that they may be thoroughly
| discussed before they are adopted, :"
said McCants Stewart. LAS to the
primary rule, we ought to have a rule
making it possible for the party to
grow. We do not expect to go into an
election with none but our voters of
the last election in the party"
Lorrin Andrews said that he was Op-
| posed to open primaries. He viii at
| tend the meeting next Saturday even
/ ing, and will probably be heard on the
/ subject.