The San Francisco call., 1907-02-09
STETSON CAU Sc 6
THE DELAY
Demands Time in Which to
Investigate Proviso Party
Caucus Agreed Upon
REQUEST IS GRANTED
By George A. Van Smith
CALL HEADQUARTERS,
1907 EIGHTH STREET.

election constitutional amendment
will be determined by the Assembly
at 2 o'clock Monday afternoon, when
the measure will be considered as a
special order.
That there will be some lodging
was demonstrated this morning, when
AssemblyTnan Held, backed by Grove
L. Johnson and Speaker Beardslee,
attempted to take up the amended
measure as returned by the Senate
and put it on its final passage. The
sole peg on which anyone of the
seventy Assemblymen who voted for
the amendment as originally drawn can.
hang his opposition is the proviso
added in the Senate committee on cleo
tions and election laws. The addition
provides that until the Legislature en-
acts a direct primary election law un-
der the provisions Of the amended Sec
tion. the present primary election law
shall remain in force and effect. This
proviso was added to reassure the Sen
atOrs. who feared that as originally
drawn the Held-Wright amendment. If
adopted. would, ipso facto repeal the
existing law and in the event that the
next Legislature failed to keep the
party pledges. the State would be
without any legalized form of primary.
election. eks
sTETSON CAUSES DELAY
This proviso spells danger in the
mind of Assemblyman Stetson. who is
4 lawyer. He told the Assembly today
that he wanted time to look up the
law and authorities. Just where he
viii find any authority for the belief
that the submission of an amendment
by the Legislature can affect existing
law is a puzzle for the other legal
minds of the Assembly.
Until the amendment submitted by
the Legislature is adopted by the peo-
pie, two years hence, it is mere
proposition-not law-and has no legal
force or standing. If the Held-Wright
amendment is adopted it viii cause the
enactment Of direct primary law, to
take the place of a law which is ex-
pressly saved until ii is repealed by
such direct primary enactment. Stet-
son is an avowed champion of direct
primary reform and sponsor for a bill
which proposes the adoption of the IL
linois dual system by the California
Legislature. While il is true that there
is small likelihood Of his bill being
passed by the sitting Legislature. its
enactment is in no way endangered by
the proviso added to the Held Wright
amendment. which he voted for in its
original form If he could pass his bill
at all, it would be the law protected
of the legislation two years hence,
when the amendment viii undoubtedly
be adopted It is not to be assumed.
however, that fear for the fate of his
own measure lies at the bottom of
Stetson's doubts about the Held Wright
amendment, especially since he an
nounced in explanation of his vote for
it when it originally passed the AS
sembly that he did not believe con-
stitutional amendment necessary
preliminary TO comprehensive direct
primary legislation.
FINAL ACTION MONDAY
In any event the Wright propo-
sition as amended will be considered by
the Assembly on Monday and the plat
form pledges either definitely redeemed,
so far as may be. or definitely repudi
sted. further amendment by the As
sembly of a proposition formally adopt
ed as a party measure by the Senate
caucus would send the whole matter
glimmering.r so far as the present
Legislature is concerned. 81
Nine Republican Senators broke out
Of party harness this morning to sup
port Senator Curtin's proposition for a
constitutional amendment to wipe out
the Railroad Commission. That was
only half enough recruits from the
ranks Of the majority and Curtfns
measure was saved from immediate
interment only by the author changing
his vote and announcing his intention
10 move for reconsideration tomorrow.
The preliminaries involved few ora
tOrical Outbursts. but a call of the Sen
ate was ordered before the final vote
was announced, and only those Sena-
tors absent from the city were omitted
from the record on the proposition.
Curtin, presenting his measure, said
the commission had demonstrated that
II was good for one purpose and one
purpose only-it relieved the State
Treasury Of $4,000 a year. Possibly it
was that phase of his argument that
spelled defeat for him-again it may
have been just plain politics The Sen
ate is organized on a plane too high TO
permit jealousy Of men who can get
away with only s24,0 year to in
fuence its action.
MUST EMBARRASS SOMEONE
The first showing of hands resulted
in a demand for a call of the Senate
which, though it drew the small end
OF me noise IN viva voce vote, was
sustained by President pro TEN. Wolfe.
Senators Anderson. Carter, Irish, Mat
tos Muenter, Rambo, Rush, Walker and
Wright voted with Bell, Caminetti.
Cartwright. Curtin and sanford for the
measure
The political wiseacres are trying TO
I&ure out the identity OF the persons
or person whom the organization in
tends TO embarrass by the bill conclud-
ing the term of all gubernatorial an
pointees on the first Monday in July.
which Speaker Beardslee was directed
TO introduce. The Governor was not
consulted and the bin was drawn to
accomplish q purpose he had publicly
declared he would not be a party to
Beardslee, TO whom il was handed and
who is compelled in measure to stand
for II. had declared himself quite as
forcibly regards some of the offices
10 be affected by the bill Immediately
it was introduced the Governor repu-
dated it and, quite regardless of its or
ganization origin, has announced that
he viii not have any such legislation
besmirch his administration. Now it is
up TO the machine TO force it through
the Legislature and lock horns with
the Governor. or admit a tactical blum
der by permitting the bill TO die an
easy death in committee. The Governor
has caused the Legislature to be ad-
vised through its leaders that he wants
none Of the bill, and that if it be neces-
sary to fix definitely the term of
syi,ror,a fovfo1 arnof1feee and fo rrovif7e