The San Francisco call., 1907-03-05
Gillett Will Sign
Capital Moving
Measure
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candidates for the United States SEN
ate. is not a direct primary measure.
After the provision for the nomination
OF Senators the Stetson bill is an ag-
gravated form Of the Illinois compro-
mise. which the Illinois friends of
direct primary legislation are now en-
deavoring TO have their Legislature
repeal after one unsatisfactory trial
OF IL. The Call, in common with all
students OF direct primary legislation
who have studied such systems at first
hand and from the view of their prac-
tical operation. has consistently oP-
posed the adoption Of the Illinois sys-
TEN by California That the political
organizations do not approve of it
either proves absolutely nothing from
the direct primary reformers stand
point. II is delegate convention law
so complicated that II Is satisfactory
TO no one and without accomplishing
the object of a direct primary it null
tiplies the expense of the intermediary
primaries. which IT complicates.
But the Stetson bill cannot, in fair
ness to the Illinois law, be compared
With that enactment, because rbe III
nois law can be uniform in its appli-
cation and the proposed Stetson law
cannot be uniform save In its applica-
tion TO the nomination OF candidates
for the United States Senate.
This lack of uniformity can be over
come only by making the present in
termediary law compulsory and man
datory in all precincts. The provisions
Of the Stetson bill touching the opera
tion Of the proposed law are:
Sec. 80. This law shall not be ap-
plicable as to localities or officers
where the conventions making nomina-
tions shall be composed OF delegates
less than two-thirds OF whom are Sc
lected under the primary election law
Of this State"
That provision eliminates the State
ticket, the Congressional ticket with
one exception. county tickets with less
than one dozen exceptions and cor
responding number Of municipal tick
etsp from the operation of the proposed
enactment
After the Senatorial provision. which
is pure direct primary, the bright par
ticular feature Of the measure is a
candidates ballot. to voters at the pri-
mary election in connection with a
delegates ticket. In those localities
where the Jaw could apply the elector
may express his choice as to candi-
dates and then turn his choice over TO
delegaoes. who are charged with the
duty Of voting for the nomination of
those candidates so long as their names
may remain before the conventions.
BY engrafting the Texas elimination
scheme. the bill provides that after
each ballot the name of the candidate
receiving the least number of votes
shall be dropped, until there is one
candidate with a majority OF all the
delegate votes who shall be declared
the nominee of his party for the des-
ignated Office. In fine It is but com
plication Of the delegate system the
people OF California are demanding
that they be freed from.
Governor Gillett signed today the
bin authorizing the sale of the Los
Angeles Normal School property at
public auction for not less than $780,
600. The bill has been before the Gov
ernor for some time and he refused
to stamp II with his approval until
after he had the local situation inves-
tigated by his own agent. The report
of this agent convinced him that the
States best interest would be con-
served by selling the property to the
highest bidder. The location. accord
ing to the report made to the Governor.
is unsatisfactory, as is the building.
which is without elevators. The Gov
eynor said today that the trustees
would invest the proceeds from the
sale which he expects to exceed the
minimum fixed by the bill. in a suit
able site and building near the CITY.
bur beyond the business districts
where faculty and students will be
free from many annoyances and dis
comforts inevitably incident to the
present location.