The San Francisco call., 1907-01-27
ONE STEP TOWARD
PRIMARY LAW
People Victors in Opening
Skirmish in the Battle
for Honest Nominations
MEASURE APPROVED
By George A. Van Smith
CALL HEADQUARTERS.
1907 EIGHTH STREET.

lNUG LlWn III DLlALL H
SACRAMENTO, Jan. 20
The people have won the first
round in their battle for direct
primary election reform. The
Assembly committee on constitu-
tional amendments by a unani-
nous vote today recommended tor
passage The Call proposition
for a constitutional amendment,
introduced by Assenblymsn Held.
The same amendment has been
introduced in the Senate by Sen
stor Leroy Wright of San Diego
and viii come Up for considera-
ton at a public meeting Of the
Senate committee on elections
and election laws on Tuesday. In
the Assembly the amendment re-
ported today viii go on the file Mon
day and IN the regular routine should
be passed 10 a vote before the end OF
next week.
The unanimous Endorsement OF the
amendment submitted tentatively by
The Call and adopted and introduced
.
victory for the real friends Of direct
primary reform. II the amendment, as
reported by the committee. is passed by
the Legislature. that body viii have,
so far as lies in its power, redeemed
the pledge made the people Of Califor-
MIA by both Republican and Demo-
cratic parties The whole question viii
he passed 10 the people for their au-
thorization OF direct primary legisla-
ti0n. Thi sauthorizatiOn win be forth
coming. and at the next session the
Legislature can take up the task Of
framing and enacting a proper and
adequate direct primary Jaw
While the amendment reported on
favorably by the Assembly committee
was offered tentatively by The Call, il
was explicitly stated at that time by
this paper that The Call was not COM
mitted 10 any set plan. All The Call
asked for the people was an honest
and complete redemption OF the party
platform pledges.
AMENDMENT PAVEs WAY
The amendment fndorsed by the As
sembly committee paves the way for
5ust such redemption. Under its pro-
visions 8 subsequent Legislature viii
be enabled TO enact a proper direct
primary election statute il IL chooses
Should that Legislature fail to redeem
the pledges made the people, the eX-
lsting law viii not be impaired by the
adoption Of the amendment. This
amendment avoids one Of the evils of
the present section IL grants powers
to the Legislature instead Of pretend
ing to make statute provisions in the
organic law. II is unambiguOus and
nncontradictory in its terms 1t does
rot, as does another amendment pend
ing before the Senate committee. au-
lhorize the Legislature to make the
operation Of a direct primary law en-
acted under It's provisions optional with
the governing bodies Of the several
political parties; nor does II furnish a
constitutional excuse for q self-de-
Btructive law through the retention Of
the present clause under which the
Legislature may make primary laws
mandatory in one political subdivision
and optional in another.
In the Assembly committee today
there was not a suggestion OF amend
ment. With the death OF Chairman j.
J. Burke. Assemblyman Estudillo be-
came acting chairman Of the committee
and every member was on record as IA
voring the submission Of the Held bill.
OPPOSITION IN SENATE
II the Senate committee takes the
same action Tuesday, the people viii
have small reason TO fear for the pass
age and the submission Of the amend
ment The meeting Of the Senate COM
mittee. viii, however, not be marked by
the unanimity OF opinion which charac-
terized the deliberations OF the Assem-
bly, committee. The counterpart Of the
Held amendment, introduced by Sena-
tor Wright, viii be advocated by its
sponsor, Assemblyman Held, and the
men who have taken the lead in the
movement for the reform.
The Wright-Held amendment will
meet with opposition, more or less
strenuous. Senator Belshaw. q
member OF the committee, stands spon-
sor FOR an amendment proposed by the
Commonwealth Club. which is no more
than the interjection Of a single clause
into the present patchwork section, 2h
OF article 2, Of the constitution. The
primary reform advocates claim the
Belshaw amendment is on it's face dan
gerous and ambiguous, that IL so
hedges the Legislature around with
contradictory grants and restrictions
OF powers as to render doubtful the
validity Of any direct primary law
passed under its provisions, and espe-
cially in view Of the undisputed be-
lief that any direct primary enactment
viii be tested in the courts by the ma
chine. which valid law win smash.