Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-02-06

| afternoon was the Gleason and Weeks
bills Tor direct primary laws. that is
the second bill is credited to Mr..
Weeks because he introduced it. but
the Hon. Herbert NJ. Heath developed
as sponsor for the bill and claimed it's
authorship.
Mr. Heath said that ne drew the bill
under orders from the House chairman
and felt that Il was his duty to sup
port the bin during its infancy, though
it might meet an untimely death.
He further said that he drew, at the
| time of the las Republican cunven-
ton, a square tOed promise that a di-
| rect primary law would he passed by
the next Legislature. This WAS mod
| LIED by the committee on tn" platform.
but still the Republican party is plcds-
ed morally to support it.
| Th" Democratic party was pledged
| firmly and unequivocally for such a
| litN iii this State two years ago. and
| have 50 declared themselves in other
parts Of the country.
| The movement was started in Wis
consin by Senator La Follett, having
| originated with the Madison Bulletin.
| the editor of which was Amos Parker
Wilder native of Augusta. Mr..
Heath here paid an eloquent tribute
to this noted son Of Maine. Mr.. Wilder
| sent his editorials on the subject and
got Mr.. Heath interested.
| The speaker said it had been the sal
walton of the party in the states where
| it had been adopted. fractional fights
developed, but thu people were so well
pleased to have the power come back
| to them, that it was the saving of the
party and returned party success.
Mr.. Heath was Of the opinion that
he State had Outlived the caucus idea
The theory of a caucus was all right,
for it was presuppoSed that the voters
would SO to the caucus. 1t is we'll
known just how the candidates are
nominated.
These political committees that were
created TO have our servants have be-
come our masters. The man that is
delegated has the blessed privilege OF
voting the ticket which is handel
him or not voting at ALL was Mr..
Hcaths way of sizing up the situation.
On House document Ne. the speaker
said that when he sat down to block
il he tried to draft the bill so that It
would disturb the people as little Us
possible.
The bill provides that on the third
Monday il June there shall be a direct
primary election and that all the Off
GERS shall be the same and the forms
shall be the same as in q legal final
election. Everything would be the same
as now except that the names would
have to be petitioned onto the ballots.
Mr.. Glea5on's bill follows the Western
rule, which is for party enrolment and
separate ballots The person going in
to vote for candidates must first satisfy
the officials that he is Republican
and then receive a Republican ballot
and no other.
Mr.. Heath's reason for not using the
system were that the enrolment law
was a complete failure. The Heath bill
is drawn on a blanket ballot with col
umns for the several parties and boxes
the vote for as many as are to be vot-
cd for in each case.
Il feel as if there are few men who
would sacrifice his entire party faith
for the sake of helping one candidate,
system. THE instances would be rare
when man would go over the
whole column to help some particular
friend OF associate"
He called attention to Sections ., 5
and A Of the Weeks bill. which leave the
matter of the election OF all town and
city committees. The Gleason bill
provides that these also shall be elect
ed in the primary.
a State convention is also provided
for in these three sections in order
that there may be a platform. Under
the conditions created in the bill the
drawing of the platform would be tho
principal work of Il convention.
Some matters in the Gleason bill are
not touched in the Weeks bill. One of