The San Francisco call., 1907-01-18
WRIGHT PRESENTS
HELD MEASURE
Senators Belshaw and Saw
age Also Offer Methods
to Gain Election Reform
BOTH UNACCEPTABLE
CALL HEADQUARTERs,
1907 EIGHTH STREET.


SACRAMENTO. Jan. 1.-Two bills
for constitutional amendments and an
other presenting n copy Of the major
portion Of the Oregon law Were today
the first direct primary election offer
fngs in the Senate. This makes four
distinct propositions before the Legis-
iature providing real or pretended
methods Of redeenling the direct pri-
mary pledges 10 the people.
The direct primary ice was broken
in the Senate by Senator Leroy A.
Wright ~ san Diego. who introduced a
bin proposing an amendment TO the
constitution exactly similar to that in
troduced in the Assembly by Assembly
man Held A few minutes later Sen
ator Belshaw offered a bin for an
amenduent which he says was pre-
pared by the Commonwealth club OF
san Francisco. The Belshaw contri-
button was olmost Immediately fol-
lowed by a solomnly pretentious bill
offered by senator Savage Of san Pedro,
which proved to be q copy Of the
major portion Of the oregon direct
primary statute, made applicable
though only TO nominations fer district
local and municipal Offices.
BILLS ARE FAULTY
The proposition FOR an amendment
submitted by Senator Wright viii. II
the Legislature in 1909 ample and un-
ambiguous authority 10 enact COM
prehensive. honest direct primary cleo
tion law The amendment offered by
Senator Belshaw, unless its form is
changed. viii not The bin for a law
introduced by Senator Savage, while
fmmeasurahlE better as far as II goes
than the Leeds bin introduced in the
Assembly. would. if enacted prior 10
the amendment Of the constitution, ac-
complish lust what the Leeds bill
would accomplish-the delay OF the
whole scheme Of reform, if not its
ultimate defeat
The amendment offered by Senator
Belshaw on behalf Of the Common
wealth Club embraces the present sec
tiOn 256. article ?. Of the cOnsIi-
tuition, which binds the Legislature
10 delegate convention system
and adds seventeen words, giving
the Legislature power 10 enact laws
providing for the direct or other nomi-
nation OF candidates for public office
without conventions"
So far this amendment is good, but
its trainers have evidently not con-
sidered the effect Of the remainder Of
the section designed TO cover an In
termediary primary system, on any
efforts TO secure the enactment Of
valid direct primary law. The first
and nrobably the worst error is that
portion Of the section which permits
the Legislature to frame law so that
its adoption and operation shall be op-
tional swith the governing bodies OF
political parties. That is the clause
which has rendered the New York law
imperative, though theoretically ap-
proximating perfection.
MACHINE MUST BE oUsTED
The governing body OF a political
party is the machine IN power. The
machine in power in California would
be promptly ousted by a mandatory
direct primary election law. Give that
machine the power 10 determine when
the law that means its destruction shall
become operative and the crack Of
doom viii find that law still a dead
letter. The New York machine snaked
an optional clause in the law demand
ed by the people OF that State and the
people got. not a direct primary cleo
tiOn law, but an excellent system OF
registration and no more.
But II the optional clause were not
enough to render any law enacted un-
der this proposed amendment innoc-
uous. its trainers have made assurance
doubly sure by retaining stiu another
clause OF the present section, the pro-
vision that the Legislature shall have
the power TO make the laws enacted
under its provisions mandatory and
obligatory I'm one political subdivision
and optional in another. II requires
the fullest exercise Of most vivid i'm
agination to understand the workings
of a nominating system Of dual meth
DDS.
DUAL SYSTEM SILLY
The trainers az this amendment pos
sfbly have some system by which the
gubernatorial delegates elected in one
1--4~~ rrr.fr
with the direct poll for gubernatorial
candidates cast in another county. The
idea that two systems can be worked
together is as silly as II is impossible
Of realization. And the argument ad-
vanced in its extenuatiOn or excuse is
no better than the argument made by
Leeds for his bill The assumption that
= Legislature would not enact a law
mandatory in one section and optional
in another IS, in the light OF the many
things done by California Legislatures
in general, and the present in partic-
uiar. a violent and unwarranted as
sumption.
The very organization Of the Thirty
seventh Legislature 5ustiies the belief
that California Legislatures can be
brought TO see the machine light.
Nothing could better suit the purposes
Of the machine than the enactment of
law that would work its own destruc-
ton. Senator Belshaw admits some OF
the defects OF the proposition submitted
by him for the San Francisco Club and
is inclined TO underestimate some OF
the others. But HIS position is that all
propositions for amendments and bills
designed TO secure direct primary re-
form should be gotten before the COM
mittees. He does not believe, nor does
sny one save Leeds Of Los Angeles admit
believing. that a valid direct primary
law can be enacted prior 70 the adop-
tion OF constitutional amendments. Bel
ehaws plan is thought 70 give the
committees the chance to investigate
ali propositions. with the idea OF Sc
curing from them the material 10 make
an amendment better than any of those
submitted.
The bill introduced by Senator Saw
age has its birth In a source the Sena
tor declines 10 disclose beyond. that IL
comes from wholly reputable persons IN
Los Angeles. The identity OF those
reputable persons the San Pedro Sens-
tor hugs 10 his bosom as a portentOus
secret. What the provisions Of the bin
are the Senator does not know. The
title OF the measure disclosed 10 him
that it was intended To cover the nomi-
60 or