The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-23
POLITICAL GOSSIP WAR ON PLAGUE.
w. Morgan Writes of the State Board of Health Plans
Proposed Primary. Hospital for Consumptyes.
Does Plan Will Be Urged
for Hybrid One. to Establish One
mo EXTRA SESSION. CHANCE FOR The POOR
Blames Mr. Stubs Money Will Re-
Failure of Bill. ce7e Attention.
Rain
w. Y. Morgan Writes of the
Proposed Primary.
Does Not Favor Anthony Plan
for Hybrid One.
NO EXTRA SESSION.
Blames MIR. Stubs Friends for
Failure of Bill.
Prefers to Have Whole Question
Checked Up to People.

w Y Morgan, member of the state
central committee. and also member
of the legislature from Reno county,
has made public his letter to D. r.
Anthony concerning the proposed pri-
mary election for 1908
Mr.. Morgan lined up in favor Of the
compromise primary bill at the last
session of the legislature, but he does
not endorse Mr.. Anthony's plan for
primary under the direction of the
state central committee. Neither does
he favor special session of the leglS-
lature He wants the state to elect
the right sort of Representatives to the
legislature and leave it to them to en-
act a primary law. The letter foIloWs:
Hutchinson, Kan, Oct. 21, 1907.
"Hon. d. R. Anthony, Jr., Leaven-
worth, Kan.
'sMy Dear Anthony: / am in re-
ceipt of your letter and have read
with interest the letters written by
various state officers and committee
| men in which the dlfflcult1es IN the
way of your propositions are set forth
| To nv mind a most serious objection
! to your scheme has not been given the
| emphasis it deserves. L am and nave
| been an earnest advocate of primary
| election law, which should provide 1or
nominations by all parties on the
same day, at the expense OF the state,
| with safeguards around the primary
| ballot boxes and the canvass OF votes,
and should prevent members OF one
| party taking part in the nomination
| of the candidates of another. Sucn q
| primary as you propose, without any
| safeguard of law, admittedly a mere
| makeshift, would have the result OF
| oueering the plan of a real primary
| in the minds of the people and per-
| haps defeating it. A4primary election
| without law to protect the polls from
! illegal voting would be a farce, ana
the effect would be to defeat the en-
| actment of real primary law such as
| I. favor.
| should be an extra session or the leg
| islature to pass a primary law. Inc ne
| regular session had this question Tor
| consideration. Governor Hoch came
before the legislature and appealed to
| the members to pass the only primary
| bill that then had a chance 1or sue
I cess the compromise measure which
received the support of more than
two-thirds of the Republicans OF the
house and failed because twenty-one
Republicans voted with the Democrats
against it, . That bill provided for the
most effective safeguards of the pri-
maries that could be devised. 1t pro-
yided for a direct vote on every oHlce,
from United States senator to town
ship trustee. 1t made a plurality vote
nominate for all officers below con-
gressman and state officers. The only
| convention in the bill was TO DC
made up of delegates elected direct
by the voters and not by caucuses OF
county conventions. 1 think all Off
GERS should be nominated by plurality
vote but the bill came so near meeting
nv views that 1 was glad to support
1T along with nearly three-fourths OF
the Republican members of the house
1t was defeated because Mr.. Stubs
and those members he could control
were not satisfied and said they would
not be with any compromise whatever
The makeshift primary without law
, or order now proposed is far beneath
j. what they then rejected. And as they
then denounced Governor Hoch'S per-
sonal plea for a primary law as i'm
proper and wrong, I do not think they
would change their views in an extra
session but together with the Demo
Gratis would beat any measure which
did not permit of the fraudulent voting
of Democrats in Republican primaries
The bitter denunciation of Governor
: Hoch on the floor of the house by thu
, spokesmen of the Stubbs faction, be-
cause he presumed to urge a primary
law. and their refusal to follow his wis
suggestion makes me think an extra
: session would be an expensive and vail
: proposition and 1 prefer that the mat
, ter be checked to the people so tina
they can elect a legislature that will
give the state a real primary law
Yours truly w. Y. MORGAN.