The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-04-06
SENATE KILLS THE
PRIMARY MEASURE
Bill Extending the System to
State Officers Is Indefi.
nitely Postponed

The senate went on record yesterday
against any further legislation on the
primary election system. When the bill
from the committee on elections was
reached in committee of the whole, SEN
ator Laybourn, its champion, moved it
be recommended to pass.
The bill provides for the holding of
party state conventions in June at
which aspirants for state officers NAV
present their names.
The convention is to cast one ballot
on all the candidates for any state Of
hce and the three men receiving the
greatest number of votes are to be de-
clared the candidates of the party NOM
ination for such office at the ensuing
primary election in September.
l am very sorry for the third time"
said Senator Calhoun of Hennepin, ito
move the indefinite postponement of
this BILL
Senator Laybourn promptly respond
Il notice the opposition to this bill
comes from those who are against the
whole primary system. Now, / believe
this is as good a day as any other to
ascertain the sentiment of the senate
on this bill. l would like to know what
senator is so bold as to ask for the re-
peal OF the present primary-law!"
Sympathize With Calhoun
Il am" retorted Senator Calhoun. ris-
ing from his chair. Amid general
laughter half a dozen other senators
raised their hands and indicated their
sympathy with the senator from Hen
nepin.
Il am confident that the senior from
Hennepin," rejoined Senator Laybourn.
would, If he voted for such a repeating
measure, be relegated to an oblivion so
DlaCk he WOul6 no ir1t
The primary law of 1901 has been a
valuable political asset of the Repub-
ncan party in this state. 1t is true,
Hennepin county suffered a misfortune
under the primary system, but the peo-
pie OF the state at large are satisfied
with IL. There are men in this senate
who wouldn't be here If it was not for
the primary law!"
However that might be-" replied
Senator Calhoun, will say have no
political ambition. My people may turn
me down, if they want to. / never play
TO the galleries. This bill is so lame,
so absurd, that I'll not repeat my pre-
Vious two speeches against it, but sim
ply say ditto, ditto"
I'm opposed to this bill. too" said
Senator Alley, but not to the primary
system. don't believe the people want
this double headed system
Call It Humbue
81 question whether this bill is a
primary law at ALL said Senator Wood.
1T simply provides for the old caucus
TO select delegates to a convention
which selects three people for each Of
fice- 1t isn't within hundred miles of
a primary system. It's a humbug, a
pretense. Couldn't the same crowd run
this convention and select three candi-
dates for state office, not one of whom
m ha 10
Senator Barker said he hoped the
bill would not be indefinitely postponed,
as he had some amendments to offer
which he thought would meet with the
approval of the senator's Senator Bar
kers amendments provided for the cleo
ton at the regular primary election in
September of delegates to a county con-
vention to be held the following Friday,
which convention would choose dele
gates to state convention to be held
from three to ten days later. This would
leave six weeks for state campaign,
which the senator. from Isanti thought
was long enough.
Senator Calhoun declined to with
draw his motion for indefinite post
ponement of the bill, but on a rising
vote, it was lost by % to 20, as the SEN
ators wanted to consider Barkers
amendments.
The amendments consisted of a sub
stitution of his scheme in place of Sem
ator Laybourn's, by striking out of the
latter everything after the enacting
clause
No Secrecy to Ballot
Senator Laybourn criticised the
amendments because no provision was
made for the secrecy of the ballot for
delegates at the primary election and
because of the shortness of time for
the state campaign-Only five or six
weeks. 1t would be impossible, he con-
tended TO organize campaign cover
ing the eighty-three counties of the
state in such brief period.
Senator Thorpe thought the rest of
the state would be satisfied with Sem
ator Barker's amendments, provided
things could be so fixed as to do away
with the unit rule followed by the big
Hennepin delegation in the state con-
vention.
Senator Barker's amendments to the
bill were then voted upon and de-
feated by a vote of Is to II.
Senator Dale offered as an amend
ment the old and original bill providing
for the election by the people directly
of delegates to the state convention,
but this too was voted down.
Senator Shell then had his Joke. He
sent up an amendment limiting Henne-
pin county to only one delegate in the
state convention.
While the senators were laughing
over it, Senator Laybourn pressed his
motion that the bill be recommended
to pass. 1t was defeated, whereupon
Senator Hawkins moved indefinite
postponement of the election bill The
motion prevailed. and the senate took
a recess until 3 p. m. to receive the
code reDOrtPd ont nv the Judiciary,