The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-20
Section by Section IL Ii Picked to
Pieces and Patched with New
suggestions.
CLUB REFUSES TO FATHER IT
RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY DIREC-
TORS ORPHANING THE BILL.
Discussion by Senators Gray, Matson,
Starr, Coats and Others-Some
of the Suggestions.

There is fable which tells of the I'M
happy experience of man who entered
matrimony with a luxuriant head of hair.
Living in the days when polygamy was
winked at, he took young wife and an old
one. The young insisted on plucking all the
gray hairs observed; the old in pulling out
all the black hairs that struck her eye.
Between the two he soon became as bald
as a plate. Legislators and politicians
draw an interesting comparison between
the man who lost his hair and Senator
Thompsons bill for the publication of
primary elections which, between the we'll
meant efforts of its friends and the clever
eliminations of its enemies, secret and
avowed. is in peril, it is declared, of losing
everything about it save the enacting
clause and a few Ifs" ''ands'' and lit is
provideds.'
The Senate committee on elections. of
which the father of the bill is chairman,
held an open session last night in the
Statehouse for the purpose of getting an
insight into public opinion on the bill and
of hearing suggestions for its improvement
There were so many changes suggested of
vital Importance that apparently the result
of the meeting has been merely to increase
into deeper water than ever. Section by
section the bill was gone over and there
was hardly section that was not radically
altered. When it is considered that the
measure was drafted with the utmost care
by the Commercial Club commission on
primary reform and with an effort to pro-
vide for all possible contingencies. the di-
versity of views on the general subject
may be realized
THOSE WHO DISCUSSED 1T.
Among those who felt sufficient interest
in the subject to attend the open meeting
last night were, in addition to Senator
Thompson, Senator Gray. of Evansville;
Senator Roach of Mount Vernon; Senator
Starr OF Richmond; Senator Coats. of Win
chester; Senator Lindley. of Noblesville;
Senator Matson, of Indianapolis; Repre-
sentative Muir, of Indianapolis; Addison
c.. Harris, chairman of the commission.
| and the real drafter of the bill; William
| Bosom Charles Martindale and DIR.
George T.. Hunt, secretary OF the CONNER
| cial Club.
Dr. Hunt made it very emphatic last
night that there is nothing about the bill
| that looks good to him. Il am so utterly
| out of sympathy with the whole BILL he
| said while discussing it last night, that
| hardly feel like making suggestions"
| AS presented to the General Assembly the
bill is radically different from the measure
| contemplated by some members of the Com
merciai Club commission. Chairman
| Thompson was frank in the acknowledge
ment that the bill is not perfect by any
/ means, but he thought, he said, that with
/ a variety of suggestions an interesting ex-
pertinent at least might be made.
There was sharp variance of opinion over
| the section which provides that boards of
| primary election commissioners shall be
| appointed by Circuit Court judges. Sen
| ator Roach, of Mount Vernon, was on his
| feet at once with the remark that the peo-
| pie of Vanderburg county certainly would
| not be in sympathy with anything of that
| kind. They, at the present time he said, do
| not want the judge to do appointing of any
kind. This brought Judge Gray up with
| the remark that he would be willing TO
/ have the Circuit judge of Vanderburg coun-
| ty appoint a board of primary commission
/ ers any other kind of board as to have
| them appointed by any other man. He ap-
parently did not relish the allusion to
| Judge Rasch made by Senator Roach. The
| tilt was given prominence by the fact that
the bill as now considered is compulsory
on Vanderburg as well as on Marion
county.
William Bosom, of Indianapolis did not
| like the idea of appointment by Circuit
| judges. 1t would make the judges too much
| under the influence of the politicians, he
said, and If a Judge did not follow their be-
| hest In making appointments they could
! defeat him for reelection. This view met
| with some favor.
BILL PICKED TO PIECES.
|
be board of primary election commits
sioners for each party, and that each board
consist of five members. That would pre-
vent any party from meddling in the
purely domestic affairs of the other, he
said, and would also insure representa-
ton upon the boards of the principal fac
tions of each party.
Senator Gray thought that the section
4 ~l<~ l. Il
| their primaries at the same place or the
same time should be changed to read that
| all parties should hold primaries at the
| same place and time Senator Thompson
called Addison c. Harris to the defense of
the section and Mr.. Harris remarked that
| while the idea of having all primaries sim
| ultaneous is a beautiful thing in theory,
IL is very rotten in practice. 1t gives
| Democrats a chance to vote for the weak
| est Republican candidate so that they
| could have a better chance of success
against the Republican ticket at the regu-
lar election. DIR. George T.. Hunt said that
this objection might be completely over
come If blanket ballots were not used, and
If each party had its separate ballot.
The bill was then picked to pieces sec
tion by section until Senator Matson raised
the point that 1T would not be wise TO have
the primary districts different from the
regular election precincts. Primary lines,
he thought, should conform TO general
election lines. Ii would be easier to en-
force legal voting by the precinct method
than IL the primaries We're TO be held in
large districts containing approximately
1000 voters. Senator Matsons suggestion
met with approval.
When IL came to discussion of the
penalties provided for fraud or negligence
on the part of the election officers or
voters the point generally made that
they have been placed too heavy. No jury.
IL was asserted by Mr.. Martindale, Mr..
Muir and others, will assess such pen
atty as a fine Of $1,000, or from two TO five
years in prison. for misdemeanor that Is
| more frequently winked at than anything
| else under the conditions. Senator Gray,
however, took the other view, and was for
! increasing the penalties rather than lower
| ing them.
With his chopped-up bill Senator Thomp-
con retired from the meeting with the
statement that IL would probably be re-
ported back TO the Senate in three or four
days.