The San Francisco call., 1907-02-23
Passes Primary Amendment
as Submitted by the
Free Conference
FINAL TEST ARRIVES
Upper Chamber Has Re-
dernption of Pledge in
It's Hands
By George A. Van Smith
CALL HEADQUARTERs,
1907 EIGHTH STREET

1907 EIGHTH STREET.
SACRAMENTo, Feb. 22-'The Legis-
lature shall have the power TO enact
laws relative to the election of dele
gates to conventions of political par
ness md the Legislature shall enact
laws providing for the direct nominal
zion OF candidates for public office, by
electors, political parties, or Organiza-
lions of electors without conventions at
elections TO be known and designated
as primary elecffonsi also 20 determine
the tests and conditions upon which
electors, political parties, OrGaniza-
riOns of electors, may participate In
any such primary election 1t shall
also be lawful for the Legislature to
prescribe that any such primary eIec-
rf0n shall he mandatory and obligatory.
The Legislature shall also have the
power 10 establish the rates of COM
PensatiOn for primary election officers
serving at such primary elections In
any city, or city and county, or county,
or other subdivision Of a designated
population, without making such COM
pensatfOn uniform, and for such pur-
pose such law may declare the pOpuIa-
tfon of any city, city and county, county
or political subdivision. Provided, how
ever, that until the Legislature shall
enact n direct primary election law un-
der the provisions of this section, the
present primary election law shall re-
main In force and effect"
HOUSE RISES TO DUTY
BY a vote OF 81 to l. the Assembly
arose TO its duty today. saved its dig
= ity and acquitted itself OF further
responsibility in the matter Of direct
primary legislation by passing the
Held Wright constitutional amendment
as submitted by the free conference.
The whole question Of the submis-
sion OF a direct primary con-
stftutiOnaI amendment is again up to
the Senate, and this time IN such form
~ that there can be no further quib-
bling. The report OF the free confer
ence must be accepted by the Senate
or the Held-Wright amendment is dead
and there viii be no direct primary law
passed for at least four years. The
Assembly has cleared its skirts. and
cleared them by accepting with single
dissenting vote, the Senate's PROPOSE
ton Responsibility for the fate of
the measure and the redemption of the
platform pledges made by Republican
and Democratic parties IS in the hands
Of the Senate, to be determined on
Monday morning
When the Assembly conferees got
around 10 q frame Of mind to take up
the work Of getting out of the ugly
hole it dug for itself when IL refused
10 concur in the Senate proviso at
tached 10 the Held-Wright amend
ment, they were prepared to act quick
" and did So The conference commit
tee appointed under the new joint
'. rules met at 9 o'clock this morning and,
as. forecasted by The Call, returned
promptly TO the two houses a report
Of failure 70 agree, accompanied by a
request for a free conference.
POSTPONED UNTIL MONDAY
At the brief meeting of the confer
ence committee the conferees had
kagreed upon a compromise to be
ached in free conference, and when
- same committees were named to
go into free conference, a meeting was
arranged for / 80 this afternoon. Twen-
" minutes later the amended measure
was before both houses, and within
half an hour the Assembly had, with
its dignity and honor intact, ratified
The work Of the conference and again
Dassed the amendment In the Senate
2 small attendance and a request from
Senator Price for an explanation of the
amended measure resulted in Senator
Wright asking that consideration Of
the report be postponed until Monday
morning.
The senate proviso at which the AS
sembly baked is retained. In fact the
amendment is in law and effect just
what il was when passed originally
by the Senate and refused repassage
by the Assembly.
The change which permitted the As
seublv to get from under without loss
OF dignity is IN the third line of the
amendment and provides that the Leg
ss7afura shall enact laws for the nomi-
nation of candidates for public office
without conventions, instead Of merely
authorizing the Legislature to enact
such legislation. Obviously this change
means nothing, save In verbiage, since,
adopted Il is law without sanction.
,nandatorv clause in the Legislation
IN he In
fioted upon Legislature which shall
fan TO comply with the provisions of
the section.
MEETS DEMANDS OF CRITICS
Nor can It But one thing It does do
besides permitting the Assembly to beat
a graceful retreat. 4 meets the de-
~,and OF those undoubtedly earnest
but unthinking critics Of everything
presented at this session Of the Legis-
isture who have been carping about
tbe zvorthlessness OF a constitutional
amendnent which leaves the enactment
= If direct primary laws optional with a
3 subsequent Legislature The word
shall" is incorporated. True, it i'm
,os+s no additional duty upon the Leg
fslature. but II meets the demand OF the
Tbere is some opposition to the meas
,,re in the Senate from those Senators
who thought the Assembly had got
IN so deep Inat escape was 1'4PoSslDi Z
and that the measure was irrevocably
lost. without their beng compelled 10
show their hands IN opposition. Now
rhat II is back TO them in effect, II not
fn substance. exactly what it was when
they gave IL their votes and passed ii
on to the lower house, they VIII try to
nick new flaws IN it. This will not be
an easy matter, and since the public
has been aroused by the belief that
there has been an attempt TO 3uggle the
measure TO IT'S death in disregard of
the party pledges. the men who decline
TO accept the report Of the free con-
ference must personally accept respon-
sibiIity for the reputation OF those
pledges If the measure fails to receive
the constitutional twenty seven votes.
But ONE VOTE AGAINST
The Assembly rose to the occasion
-rfAa the avidity Of the trapped school
bop who suddenly discovers a hole In
ne fence. Assemblyman Held. on be-
IL