The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-03-02
House at Olympia Game Nearly
Making BlunGer
DIRECT PRIMARY IS the CAUSE
GIVE ABSOLUTE SECRECY TO
MEN WHO VOTE.

OLYMPIA, Wash, March 1.-THE di-
rect primary bill narrowly escaped
indefinite postponement in the SEN
ate yesterday. Senator Piper. recogniZ-
ing the committee report interjected a
motion for the indefinite postponement
of the bill and the senate caught nap
ping, had almost voted in favor of the
movement when Senator Metcalf
dragged the child wonder back from
the jaws of death.
The bill that came back from the
senate committee will have to carry
a letter of introduction before it goes
to the house. The bill is more drastic
and more far reaching than anything
that was drawn up hitherto.
What pretends to be a concession to
party organization is a provision for
continuing party organizations until
September, 1908, and permitting con-
ferences of parties after direct primary
nominations. Incidentally the senate
committee recovered the presidential
electors that the house committee had
left to their fate. Under the senate bill
the presidential electors may be nomi-
mated. The house might have destroy
ed Washington's electoral vote. The
senate bill provides for a separate nom
partisan judicial election in June. It
specifies that a blank ballot shall be
provided for each voter and restores
the second scheme. Vote on United
States senator is to come first and an
absolute secrecy on party affiliations is
guaranteed.
1t is apparent that the senate pro-
gram is to involve the house in a
wrangle over the provisions of the bill
and Piper, who does not like the direct
primary system anyway, baked at a
subterfuge. He broke loose from the
insurgent caucus and took up an indie
pendent fight on the senate floor to-
day that nearly succeeded Piper
would have stayed in line for moderate
would have avoided friction but he re-
fused to invite trouble.
Both houses today passed reso-
luton and had it wired to congress,
inviting the United States govern
ment and the several states to partici-
pate in the Alaska Yukon-Pacific ex-
position.
Graves this morning again side
and had it made a special order for
Monday afternoon. He sarcastically
referred to the lobbyists he understood
were on their way from east of the
mountains and said he wished to give
them time to get busy so that they
would not feel that their long trip had
been made in vain.
Senator Davis killed his halliday
Sunday closing bill by giving it in
definite pOstponement.
The governor today signed Ester
days tax commission bill exempting
mortgages, deposits and credits from
taxation. An emergency clause is at
tackled making the measure effective
at once and it's provision swill apply
to this years taxation.
The senate passed the following
bills: An act relating to the superior
courts of certain counties providing the
time within which actions shall be
brought for the collection of special
assessments for local improvements;
the killing of certain birds;
enabling counties and cities and towns
to validate certain grants and other
obligations and evidences of indebted
ness issued in excess of legal author
ity; providing for the granting of tenn
pOrary certificates by county superin-
of drainage districts; amending the
code of public instruction: relating to
the place of holding meetings of stock
holders and trustees of corporations of
this state; amending the act fixing the
fees and compensation of justices of
the peace; relating to revenue and
taxation: providing for the assess
ment of property of telegraph COM
panies; providing for a levy not to
exceed one-fifth of a mill for the main
tenance of the national guard; reguIat-
ing the approval and filing for public |
records, real estate plats or additions:
regulating the employment of child |
labor; preventing and furnishing fam i