The San Francisco call., 1907-03-06
PRIMARY MEASURE PASSED

PASSED
Through the insistence Of Senator
Belshaw, the Senate today passed the
Commonwealth Clubs direct primary
constitutional amendment. Many of
the afdrmatice votes were cast as per
sonal favors to Belshaw, but the
amendment was not adopted without
vigorous protest on the part of Sena-
tors Wright. Wolfe and Boynton.
The Commonwealth amendment was
really before the Senate under false
pretenses It. with the Held Wright
amendment, was threshed out before
the Senate committee on elections and
election laws and the Held-Wright
amendment adopted for passage. At
no time in the membership of the COM
mittee were there more than two Sena-
tors in favor of the Commonwealth
amendment When the differences be-
tween the Senate and Assembly threat
ened a deadlock. in which the Held
Wright amendment would be stran-
gled, rather than take the chances of
entirely repudiating the platform
pledge for direct primary legislation.
the committee on election placed the
Commonwealth amendment on the file,
but without recommendation.
WOLFE POINTS TO DANGER
When Belshaw today pressed the
adoption of the amendment, which has
been condemned by the very parties in
terested in its preparation, the danger
incident to its adoption was empha-
sized by Senators Wolfe, Wright and
Boynton. Senator Wolfe. consistently
enough. pointed out that II the amend
ment were passed and submitted to
the people, the Legislature must go be-
fore the people as playing fast and
loose with the whole subject of direct
primary legislation. He said Belshaw
undoubtedly thought the amendment
he stood sponsor for was better but
that its adoption would put the Re
publican party in false position
Wolfe maintained that the party had
pledged itself to direct primary legisla-
tion, and that IT had redeemed that
promise by the adoption of the pro-
posed amendment after deliberate and
mature consideration Of fits provisions.
To submit another amendment, he de-
clared. would serve but to complicate
the situation, and thereby endanger
amendment and expose the party to
logical enough charge Of double deal
ing.
Senator Wright called attention TO
the manner in which the Held Wright
amendment had been discussed in the
three weeks 1t was before both houses
and the prior discussion in the com
ne lu6lcltQ ludL the
sion Of another amendment on the
same subject would be tantamount TO
an admission that the Legislature was
not sure of its former action or was
acting in bad faith.
SCORES MOVE AS FOOLISH
Wright insisted that the action asked
by Belshaw was foolish and could only
serve to confuse the voters and endan-
ger the adoption of either. Senator
Boynton. a member of the elections
committee. spoke in the same strain.
Belshaw insisted that voters could
be fully advised as to the merits of the
two amendments. that his measure was
the more elastic and that il would per-
NIT a return 10 the delegate system
when the people tired OF direct pri-
mary plan. And then as a personal
compliment TO Belshaw the Senate
passed the amendment, only Anthony,
Bates. Boynton. Savage, Welch, Wolfe
and Wright voting against it.
The Commonwealth amendment,
aside from the fact that it came be-
fore the Senate without recommends
tion by the committee was adopted by
the club whose name ii bears, by
postal card vote of members who thought
in many instances that they were ex-
pressing themselves as generally in IA
vor of direct primary legislation, rather
than on the merits of proposed con-
stitutional amendment, which natural
ly enough. not being lawyers. they did
not understand. IT is contradictory in
its terms. has been frankly and gener-
ously denounced by the press and to
place it on the ticket can only serve
TO befog the issue. confuse the voter
and possibly defeat the attempt to Sc
cure direct primary laws from the next
Legislature.
Belshaw has at all times insisted