The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-21

harS to see who shall run Cor Enn.ina
tiyi> al the primaries
/ Snator Noftzger then read an ed1
torial from the Topeka Capital publish
ed in March 1902 to the effect that i
was opposed to the primary Plan Il
| vogue in the county and expressed th'
nomination of county officers was pref
eIabie.
That great newspaper. that wonder
full disseminator of intelligence" hi
said, was right at that time and
wonder why it has changed its views or
| the proposition
1t was the opinion Of Senator Noftz-
ger that candidates for public e.fiCe I'm
der the terms of The Stubbs bill would
| be put to a great expense to get aheir
candidates. before the people They
| them and not a newspaper would meE-
/ ton it," he went IN, unless The news
! paper was bought up And the price Ct
| newspapers would then increase In
this connection he said that it had cost
| the candidate for the gOvernorshtp
| of Montana, under a primary law $4,000
| for advertising his candidacy and that
! it had cost a Democratic candida tie
governor $4,000 for advertising his de-
! sire to run for office. Senator Noftzger
| insisted that the convention plan was
! the best for making nominations anu
that the row which been kicked up
for primary election system, had been
raised by lot of theoretical sociologists.
The senator then read a few selections
from books written on the subject of
primary election and drew the inference
from what he read existing primary
laws in other states did not work 10
the best advantage. He started in then
the state wanted primary system, but
Senator Getty interrupted with the
question;
I'D like to find out if the senator
favors either of these bills?''
Well, it is this way with me-" re-
piled Senator Noftzger. If 1 have to
falr 7 IT,
to take either one Of them with little
water"
why don't you take your whisky
straight?'' asked Senator Getty.
We'll, that's the old convention plan,"
remarked Senator Noftzger to the ac-
compartment of roars of laughter. He
then went on to say that the convention
plan was the best one and that politi-
cal conventions in Kansas had had
more trouble with the delegation from
Wyandotte county than from all the
rest of the state put together. He in
sisted that under the Stubs primary
plan Wyandotte and a few other coun-
ties would absolutely control the nomi-
nations to be made for state officers.
He said that the question of primaries
had never been submitted to the peo-
pie but had simply been born in the
brains Of few theoretical sociologists.
He challenged the senator from Sum-
ner (Simons) to go down in his own
county and put the question to a vote
of the people there on the primary pro-
position. He believed that such a vote
would show majority of them oppos
ed to it.
This house BILL" ethe Stubs bilD he
said, should have its title amended so
that it would be an act to place the
nominations for candidates for office
in the hands of Kansas City newspa-
pers and thereby give the nominations
to the Democratic party
When Senator NoftZger concluded
Senator Getty was on his feet in an
instant and declared that he had never |
before heard on the floor of the senate
any senator or his county criticized or |
Noftzger in his remarks about wyan-
dotte county and Sumner county and !
the senators therefrom.
The people of Wyandotte county, |
he said, ARE the equals in intelligence |
Of any people of the state and their |
deliberations in political conventions /
are entitled to just as much weight.
An Interesting ColIoquy.
The men who are behind this meas
ure Cthe house bilD are not theorists
said Senator Getty. They know what
they are doing and the newspapers of
Kansas are not corrupt. They are not
mere machines to hold up candidates
for office. And let me say that if this
direct primary plan is voted down by
the senate you," and here Senator Getty
pointed his finger at Senator Noftzger
will find out how the people stand on
this proposition"
|
-ion,' interjected Senator Noftzger.
Senator Getty continued with the
that progress was only made
through experiments and he believed
hat the people of Kansas ought not to
De denied the experiment of a direct
primary law.
Il realize" he said that all this
-alk in favor of a direct primary is
'ather futile and that the lawn mower
will roll over me on this proposition
7 ha l. Of 1
want a direct primary law they are en-
titled to it for they are the ones who
pay the freight"
Senator Miller spoke briefly on the
proposition but his words were not in
he least uninteresting. He said that
lie had been told during the noon hour
hat the die had been cast by the SEN
itors on the measure and that he be-
ieved that if this was so it was an !
Urgent reason why a direct primary bill !
should be voted for.
IF the die has been cast he said. |
Il. seems to me that after listening to !
he remarks of the senator from Har-
Der (Noftzger) there is every reason
Why we should pass a direct primary
dill. The people in my county favor it,"
What happened to defeat your coun-
y ticket last fall?' asked Senator Fitz- ,
patrick.
Outside influence" was Senator
filler's reply
Smith Emphatic on Question. S
Senator F. Dumont Smith followed {
Senator Miller in the debate He said {
hat when he came to this session of {
he legislature he was in favor of the
plan, the old plan for max {
ng nominations. He had changed his
mind. however, and was in favor of a
primary plan. He called attention to 5
he fact that the immediate question at !
ssue did not call for a final determine
ion as to what form a primary meas
Ire, which was favorable to a majority
IF the senators, might take He be-
ieved, however. that if primary legis-
q tn hca,