The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-15
THE Il: To. TROOPS
INDICATED

INDICATED
y NJ Continued From First Page,> 5i !;
along the lines Of Martin and anti Mar
tin, nor even along the Tires Of
santi-prlmnry and pro-primary. On. the
con trary, the division Is such thai no y
.significnnce can be attached TO the vote
on tho bill. AS a matter OF fact It IS
admitted by opponents 4 OF Senator Mar Mar
TINS reelection that had his supporters
In the Senate OF Virginia or in the Cen
Z ernl Assembly united to defeat a general
primary plan, they could have done So
and done8so4 on a full VOTE without hnv-
ing resort to a flllbuster.5 AS a mat ter
Of opinion, tbs the view of8vnriouss sena *
tors that the bill could not have passed
4 the Senate as 1t had been amended, ever
had sa vote been ached. u
4 Finally, "a the impression appears to be
that even the friends Of q general nrl-
mary bill were much divided on this
measure. AlnNst all Of the E sena tors, i
Mr.. Machen himself included, admit that
the BILL, as hGrp ended. was defective, and
that Its passage would have beer a vic
tory or doubtful value. The only differ-
ence ofsvicwsis as to whether The defects
( OF the measure as amended We're 4. So
great as 70 make its defeat preferable
E to It's passage. Mr.. Machen did not de-
sire tosFsee the bill defeated, VI believing
that the defects were exasg era ted, but
when the result had been accomplished he
accepted it, and expressed the view that
1t was perhaps better, viewing tic matter
from his standpoint, that the bill, as
amended w did not get through, for the
reason that had its operutio developed
that tho defects were serious he would
have had TO bear the odlum Of patron OF
an Objectionable measure. lie did not
believe the provisions Of the bin made
such fertile opportunity for fraud and
bribery as the opponents Of concurrence
commended. M 5. .Q sf.s
Primary Ian Opposed 1T.
Senator Thomas, of Campbell, a. fore
most friend Sgof primaries, a member Of
tho May Conference Of 1899 and "a siren
uous contender for the maintenance and
enactment into statutory law Of the pri-
mary principle, IS among those who not
only spoke Inst, but unequivoc any de-,
Shared his objections to the amended
Machen plan Mr. Thomas objected
strongly to the PROVISION III the House
amendment permitting any person to en-.
ter the booth with the voter. believing
thatsit opened the door wide TO fraud and
bribery. and that this defect is alone
sufficient to vitiate the whole bill. He
favored the bill as 1t passed the Senate,
though he stated to atreporter that even
In that form there wAre several minor
objections to the me asure. None Of these
nor all Of them combined would have
been sufficient TO cause him to vote
against the bill, but the opportunity for
! fraud created by the amendments. did,
| in his view Of It,. wholly vittate the bill
and make 1t worse than none at all. MIR.
! Thomas is also opposed to the provision
/ in the bill leaving The expense OF can
! didacy upon the candidates. He believes
Iit wrong in principle to eliminate any
! man who might otherwise aspire BY
4 making the expense OF entering q pri-
|. mary beyond his power or ability to
1 meet.
Senator Bark sdale who talked the
! amended bill to death as some. have
iiput 1t, speaking to a gu estion OF privl-
lege In the Senate yesterdt.r. denied the
/ report that the friends Of Senator Mar
1 tin united to defeat the bill as amended.
Some Of the reports In out Q f-toWn pa pa
/ pers.,' he said, ear Intention ~ no doubt.
/ did me an Injustice In defining my ntti-
4 tude on the bill. anglnjustice not to mo 50
tlnuch. but to another u .5t 81 %
4 Speaking with great en- pnasis, Senator
4 Bnrksdale said: AS a matter Of fact,
\ L had no intimat!on or KIN oWiedge as to
y Senator Martins attitude lnffregard to
.kthe DILL have no luea OF sltle VIEWS t' o.
i5that GcNtlena ri ~ y
4 say that I believe that II Senator NJ artln
4 had objected to- the bill would have
4 known fir "a lnsst have hf aTS gtt 3ilse
I junior senator from Virginia has never
4 asked mo to vote for or against ANY
\ man or measure before the General AS
4 sembly but from ~ relat tons with him
\ as his friend and supporter, think ]
may say without egotism that ! would
have been approached on the 81 bject, II
anybody had been, 2s u III. IIs,4it
4 1.-THE opposition TO tho bill was made
UP both of opponents and advocates OF
& Senator Martin, and among the support.
! ers OF the amended Bill were some OF
Senator Martins most ardent friends.
/ "In opposing this bill as amended ] rep
\ resented and expressed my own views.
/ i believe the bill was radically wrong and
( that to enact It would be an invitation
/ to fraud and would be to open and TO
X make the way plain for bribery and cor
4 ruption, fig.
Opposed to Any Primary.
Continuing. the speaker declared tina
he, personally, was opposed to the PR,
mary system, because he honestly Pc
| leyed that It would eventually distract
\ and 0nally Destroy the Dem Ocrattc party