Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-03-15
BOSSES FEAR
DIRECT VOTE
Machine Politics is Opposed TO
COIby's Bill What the Direct
Primary Really Means


Evening News, writing to that news
paper from Trenton, describes the
direct nomination bill, which is now
pending before the legislature as fol-
lows:
TRENTON, March SIT begins
to look as though Everett Colby
would be able to put the members of
the senate on record as being for or
against direct nominations. There is
also probability that a direct nomi-
nation bill will pass the house at this
session. The democrats are on rec
ord as pledged to the passage of such
measure and the abolishment of
the delegate convention system of
party nominations, although the par
ty bosses are as much opposed to the
idea as are the republican bosses, for
the reason that to abolish the dele
gates and conventions will make 1t
more difficult for the bosses and ma
chimes to control nominations. The
republicans are in a quandary. Up
TO date the republican machine and
its bosses and leaders throughout the
state have been in opposition to d.
rect nomination. They are still in
opposition. Whether they will dare
make this an open opposition, and if
they do. whether they will be able to
keep the senate lined up against it,
remains to be seen.
Last year, it will be remembered,
republican senate, by lapse of
memory or some other mistake of the
republican leaders, passed the Colby
bill for direct nominations, and it was
reported in the house, passed to third
reading and was practically passed on
third reading, the roll call having
been nearly completed, when Per-
kins, the majority leader, suddenly
discovered what the measure was
Then the ron call was begun over
again and the republican regulars,
who had been voting unanimously
for the bill, suddenly changed their
attitude and voted solidly against it.
This year all three branches of
the law making power, the senate,
the house and the governor, are play
ing for popularity. Direct nomina-
tions, despite the efforts of both ma
chimes to keep it in the background,
has become a popular issue. The
house is willing to pass the measure,
with the approval of the democratic
bosses, but the latter will agree to its
passage in the hope that the senate
will not pass it. In the senate there
would be little opposition to the pass
age of the measure If there was not
the fear that the house might allow
IL to become law, or at least go to
the governor for approval What the
governor thinks is impossible to as
certain. He has never gone on record
as fayoring direct nominations, and
Is generally understood to favor the
continuance of the delegate system
The subject was ignored in his mes
sage to the legislature and his at
tltude will probably remain mys=
terry until the bill gets to him for ap-
proval, il it does.
A number of material changes have
been proposed by Senator Colby in
the form of amendments to his bill,
which are to be printed and are to
come before the senate Tuesday for
consideration. Assemblyman Alex
ander has agreed to the amending of
his bill in the house committee by the
inclusion of the Colby amendments
and 1t is probable that some time next
week the Alexander bill will be re-
ported from committee and brought
before the house in the form Colby
will try to secure its passage in the
senate. With this condition existing
1t is difficult to see how both houses
are to evade a consideration and vote
directly upon the merits of the di-
rect primary measure. Senator
Bradley. chairman of the elections
committee in the senate, favors the
bill, and President Minch and SEN
ator Avis are other republican SEN
ators who will probably join with Col
by in the effort to secure the passage
of the measure in the upper branch
of the legislature.
Votes Would All Count.
In it's general plan, the direct nom
mating bill provides for abolishing
delegates and conventions and giving
the voters in each party direct
choice in the making of nominations
for all elective officers in the. state. |
The amendments proposed are entire
ly along the line of simplifying the |
plan for working out this system of
nomination, protecting the vote
against fraud and corruption and
guaranteeing, as far as possible, that
the votes of all individual members of
political parties shall have equal
weight in determining party nomi- |
nees. If the measure passes in the |
form proposed there will be no more
city, county, congressional or state |
conventions. Delegates to national
conventions will be elected in party
primaries held in June, and delegates
Ito constitutional conventions and
Presidential electors will be chosen
by direct vote of the members of the |
parties.
AS originally introduced the Colby |
and Alexander bills provided that pc |
titions of candidates for Nominations