The San Francisco call., 1907-02-07

or repealed save by constitutional
amendment. Caminetti is not at all
satisfied with the present intermediary
primary law, and his contention is that
a direct primary law the present inter
mediary law should be amended or am
plihed.
RESOLUTION SATISFACTORY
Admitting the contention Of the Sen
ator from Amador, the Held-Wright
resolution is more satisfactory to the
Republican leaders than they expected
II 10 be. They scented debate and end
less wrangle If the measure were not
programmed. and the party caucus,
that has become almost a habit, was
called into play. Republican leaders Go
not object TO the present primary cleo
tion law becoming a part of the consti-
fotion. In fact, the section of the con-
,ution now providing for it is so am
pie in its terms as to closely resemble a
chapter Of the statutes. The enactment
Of direct primary law will replace
the intermediary primary law by the
terms Of the Held-Wright amendment.
Until il is replaced by a direct primary
law the leaders prefer TO leave it alone,
and to leave the whole subject alone
until it can be taken UP by the next
Legislature, II the people adopt the
pretends 10 doubt they will adopt it.
The tentative plan of the Senate
leaders is TO go at the subject Of direct
primaries in the next session in sub
stantially the same manner as the in
surance committee has gone at the
work Of revamping the insurance laws.
Plans, suggestions and drafts of laws
VIII be expected and even invited. Ex-
perts and men with theories will be in
vited to explain their schemes to the
committee. The laws of other States
viii be examined carefully and from
the whole il is hoped to build a law
superior TO any similar statute now
in force.
VOTING MACHINE MEASURE
The question of good or bad faith
on the part Of individual legislators is
one that need not be considered now
4 he tentative plan is undoubtedly cor
rect in principle, its consummation in
practice is a matter of two years hence
for which the people a whole must
necessarily accept the responsibility
II the caucus tomorrow agrees to the
Held-Wright amendment, the next Leg
islature will have ample authority to
enact direct primary laws and it simply
oevOlves upon the people to see that
cir representatives are pledged per-
sonally TO such legislation
II AAlrAt - no unnecessary delay IN
the passage Of the bill that will come
up in the Senate tomorrow, Senator
Richard WeIch Of San Francisco may
secure the investigation of the San
Francisco voting machines he so much
desires A poll of the Senate com
mittee on elections and election laws
today resulted in decision to send the
committees bill drafted by T. V Gator
out with unanimous recommendation
for passage. This bill provides for a
general law which will enable either
branch of the Legislature to open vot-
ing machines. either for contests or ex-
animation on the authority of a resolu-
tion.
HARTMAN Is RESENTFUB
Senator Gus Hartman resents what
he considers attempts TO ridicule his
crusade against the San Francisco fight
trust, and sSvears with his hand raised
70 high heayen that he viii prove the
sincerity of his purpose by putting
Cofroth, Graney, Levy ct al. out of
business by the passage of his anti
prizefight bill Hartman is no foe Of
the game Of the squared circle. He is,
on the contrary. one Of its most ardent
admirers He is at outs with the men
in control Of the game in San Fran
cisco. whom he accuses Of bunkoing the
public, and, realizing that he cannot
separate them from their pull with the
san Francisco Supervisors, has re-
doubled his efforts TO secure votes for
his bill He believes he can pass the
measure and he believes that its pas
sage viii be a good thing for the sport
1te claims TO have the unqualified in
ssement of William Greer Harrison
df the Olympic Club and other promi-
nent sporting men, He does not want
TO wipe out the fstic game permanent
fc the N prHnF71 10 al
legged promoters he is after. and as an
evidence Of his good faith in this par
ticular he has agreed that IL the San
Francisco Supervisors will take the con-
troll Of the game out Of the hands OF
the trust" and issue licenses to re-
sponsible persons or clubs other than
these men he will at once withdraw his
bill and hold his peace.
ANOTHER ~GRAFTERs. BILL
AssembIyman Coghlan is sponsor for
2 bill introduced today that would vir-
tually wipe out the grand jury system
and place defendants in criminal ac-
tions in possession of the evidence
submitted TO inquisitorial bodies. The
same bill viii be introduced in the
Senate tomorrow by one of the Ruef
Senator's The bill provides that no
one can be indicted by a grand jury
unless he has been summoned before
permitted TO hear testimony produced
by the state for the purpose Of secur-
ing his Indictment The arguments
advanced for the bill are the stock ar
guments against the grand jury sys-
TEN. which is denounced as star
chamber inQuisition. sending indicted
persons to trial prejudged as guilty by
the public, when in fact indictment
is but an opinion of a prosecutor.
z-nan oxUn rnsrrzr.
The Kings-Fresno county division
scrap will find it's way back to the
floor of the Assembly tomorrow morn
ing The Assembly committee with
seven OF its nine members present. rec
commended the bill out this afternoon
BIZ a vote of FIVE to two. That the bill
viii pass the Assembly is pretty gen
1 prally admitted That il will not pass
' the Senate is by no means assured. The
annexationists claim to be absolutely
assured of their success In the Senate.
The Fresno people naturally enough
deny that they are making losing
fight in the upper house, but some of