The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-01-11
SAYS PARTY MUST
KEEP PLEDGES
To PEOPLE
Continued from, Pase J, Column :

/ power when the law was enacted. and
because la Toilette did not want TO
, preserve party lines He pleaded that
: 81 men were compelled TO disclose their
party affiliations as a prerequisite TO
participation i'm party functions II
would give the railroads and other
q hated corporations an opportunity TO
defeat the purposes Of the law by CO.
ercing the vote Of their employees That
was a good argument because il pre-
vailed. but IL was not the real reason
why Ia Toilette insisted on the adOp-
tiOn Of system previously tried and
rejected in Minnesota.
For several wears Ia Toilette has en-
5oved the support Of William Jennings
Bryan and the Nebrs skan's wing OF the
Democratic party in Wisconsin The
Wisconsin Bryanites decline TO re-
nounce their adherence TO the editor OF
the Commoner decline 10 admit that they
are Republicans or that they wear the
Republican label But biennially. at
the invitation of Bryan, who invariably
visits Wisconsin in campaign time, they
turn out and help frame up the la Fol-
lette ticket There are not enough or
these Bryanites in Wisconsin 10 carry a
ticket at the general election. but there
are several thousands of them, and La
Toilette wanted them 10 help him hang
ste, nominate Irving Lenroot for Gov
ernor and ultimately defeat SpoOner for
the United States Senate. That il did
not work out thar way was not the
fault Of either la Toilette or Bryan,
who stumped Wisconsin last fall, an
nouncine. II am here 10 lick the man
who licked Bob La Toilette.
PARTY INTEGRITY PRESERVED
The direct primary election, either
legal or extra legal. is party function
and strictly so. There IS no more valid
reason for the participation Of Re
publican in a Democratic primary cleo
ton than there is for the presence Of
an unbidden guest at wedding feast.
In providing for the preservation u
party integrity through 4 comprehen-
sive and radical registration law there
is not the slightest constitutional dam
ger on rhe ground Of Acknowledgement
or interference with the secrecy Of the
ballot because En- has no reference 10
hts vote. but simply to his qualification
as q party man to assist in the conduct
Of party business. The problem has
been adequately solved in both New
York and Oregon. and a registration
chapter similar to the New York regis
tration law should be an elemental in
teger in every direct primary election
law
A. TO AlIF - tAAfF VI AAAF tAAAAV0 "
the organization. Minnesota furnishes
dozens Of concrete examples to prove
the contrary. Prior 10 the enactment
Of "a direct primary election law in Min
nesota J. J. Hin. as the mogul Of the
railroad business, absolutely controlled
railroad legislation I'm the North Star
state Further. he named the men nom
mated for the Legislature by the dom
inant party in sufficient number Of
executive districts TO leave no doubt as
10 his control of the situation He nom
mated and elected the Legislature that
fn an runEuarded moment passed the
"a rect primarv law that Minnesota now
has. He 4 minated and elected the
Governor wiz signed it,
PEOPLE GAIN CONTROL
Before that Legislature adjourned il
took stock Of the fact that the people
and not Hill would control thereafter.
IT passed the per cent gross earnings
bill which Hin had defeated time after
time Hill has not elected a Legisla-
ture or a Governor since. The machine
was disrupted, and that machine has
ever since been discredited. II has man
aged TO nominate two candidates for
Governor through the manipulation OF
delegate conventions. IT has failed to
elect. however, and that in State nor
raallv Republican by 10000. Men who
assisted the olo HldcAlHe IN DiAAeiiA6
about these nominations and who were
snnenable TO the direct primary cleo
tion have been incontinently dismissed
from office by the people.
In Wisconsin La Toilette had the ma
chine. He attempted 70 nominate Len
root. DenroOt as defeated by over
50 600 in q total poll Of 100000.
In Minnesota Hill had the machine.
johnson. an almost unknown Democrat,
beat Dunn, one OF the best-known Re-
puhlicans in the State, by more than
5000 few months ago this same
Johnson. who has no machine. and who
cannot build one with the limited
amount Of patronage under his ontrol,
beat Cole by nearly $4,000.
The two real primary election law
states have definitely set at rest the
machine control bugaboo, and under
circumstances quite parallel with the