The San Francisco call., 1908-09-24
PRIMARY LEAGUE
STARTS CAMP PAIGN
Interest Is Developed in Secur-
ing Passage of Assembly Con-
stitutiOnaI Amendment No. 3

Under the direction of President Paul
Bancroft and his associate officers the
Direct Primary league of California
has prepared to prosecute a vigorous
campaign on behalf of assembly con-
stitutional amendment No 8, the ratii-
cation of which by the people is a pre-
requisite to the enactment of the direct
primary law. to which all the political
parties have pledged themselves in
their state conventions.
The work of the Direct Primary
league has been prosecuted quietly but
carefully since early last spring. The
first tasks before the league are a cam
paign conducted for the sole purpose
of calling the attention of all electors
to the necessity of a large popular
vote for the constitutional amendment
which will make the enactment of
direct primary legislation possible and
the preparation Of direct primary bill
for introduction at the next session OF
the legislature. The campaign for the
constitutional amendment will be con-
Quoted in the several congressional
districts along absolutely nonpartisan
lines by the congressional executive
committeeman, who are representative
in equal numbers OF both the demo-
cratic and republican parties.
DRAFT IN PREPARATION
The preparation Of a draft for a di-
rect primary bill which, If enacted, will
give California a conservative but COM
prehensive direct primary law is also
in the hands of nonpartisan commit
tee. including some Of California's best
known students of election laws and of
the laws of this state. The several
members of this committee, which is
headed by Senator Leroy A Wright of
San Diego, and which includes Judge
NJ T. Dooling of Hollister, ex-Code
Commissioner John F. Davis, F. S.
Stratton, author of the existing pri-
mary law, and Senator George w. Cart
wright of Fresno, are at work on ten
tative bills from which q complete bill
for an act will be agreed upon at q
meeting of the advisory committee to
be held in San Francisco early in Oc-
tober.
BANCROFT PRIME MOVER
There appears to have been some
popular confusion touching the officers
of the Direct Primary league. Paul
Bancroft of the San Francisco board of
supervisors is president of the non
partisan organization which owes Ban
croft much for his deep interest in
primary reform and his intelligent and
persistent efforts to bring about such
reform. The other officers of the or
ganization are: Vice presidents-As-
semblyman A. NJ. Drew, Fresno: As
semblyman John o. Davis, Hollister,
Senator Leroy A. Wright, San Diego;
Assemblyman w. D. L. Held, Ukiah
who with Senator Wright was joint
author of the direct primary constf-
tutional amendment. and Walter Mac
arthur, the labor leader and editor OF
San Francisco; treasurer, W. r. Will
| liams, treasurer of the state of Cali
fornia; secretary George A. Van Smith
/ political editor of The Call; executive
committeemen-frst congressional dis
| trict, Assemblyman C. P. Cutten
Eureka, and Senator A Caminetti
Jackson; second district. Assemblymar
/ H. W. A. Weske, Santa Rosa, and Judge
c. z. Mclaughlin. Sacramento; third
district, State Comptroller A. B. Nye
Oakland, and H. W. Brunk, Berkeley
fourth district. Assistant City Attorney
Jesse Steinhart, San Francisco; fifth
district, Senator Marshall Black, Pale
Alto, and Matt /. Sullivan, San, Fran
cisco; sixth district, w. A. Sutherland
Fresno, and w. P. Netherton, Santa
Cruz; seventh district, William J. Hun.
saker, Los Angeles; eighth district
District Attorney John M. Eshleman
FL Centre, and Albert Schoonover, Sar
Diego.