The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-10-08
PRIMARY
LAW IS EXPLAINED
George Van Smith Delivers Address
Under Auspices of the Pill
grim Brotherhood.
INTERESTING NOW TO HAWAII.
District Attorney Brown Declares
Racetracks Responsible for
Many Criminals.


the voters of Hawaii in the present
campaign, seeing that the Republican
platform contains a pledge to have a
direct primary law enacted:
OAKLAND, Sept. 2z.-"The Direct
Primary" was the subject of an adj
dress delivered tonight in the First
Congregational church, under the aus
pices of the Pilgrim brotherhood, by
George Van Smith, POLITICAL editor of
The Call and president of the Direct
Primary league of California District
Attorney Everett ]. Brown spoke on
"The Racetrack."
Van Smith explained succinctly and
in detail the operation of the direct
primary law and told of the results OF
it's workings in Oregon and Wiscon-
sin. He answered many questions
that were asked from the audience and
was accorded the closest attention by
his hearers. In citing the merits OF
the direct primary, Van Smith said:
at is the right and privilege of ev-
cry American citizen who wants to run
for office without having to do busi-
ness with bosses and conventions.
have been asked whether the direct
primary law, if put in general force,
would not tend to destroy the identity
oS political parties. In reply, / will
say that, on the contrary, the tendency
of the use of the direct primary law
would be to build up and strengthen
parties. 1t would make the parties
representative of what the people
wanted. 1t would make them the peo-
pies choice, for the people would have
the say as to what the parties should
be and what they should represent"
HELPED TO DRAFT LAW.
the Wisconsin direct primary law, said
that, with some minor changes, it was
the best now in operation. He ex-
planned the purpose of the league to
secure the enactment of a direct pri-
mary law by the next legislature, and
urged the support of all citizens for
such measure as one which would
help to crush bossism in the control OF
political parties.
His explanation of the Wisconsin
law gave the details of the methods
there employed, showing how the can
didates were placed on the variou!
county and state tickets. The elimina
ton of the convention, with its trading
and program, was to the speakers
mind the great feature of the direc
primary as protecting the rights of The
people
BROWN CONDEMNS RACETRACkS
District Attorney Brown declared
that he found that the first predom1
mating cause in creating law breakers
and criminals in Alameda county was
lliquor, and that the second predom1
mating cause was racetrack gambling
He said that there were more person!
now in the state prisons and reforma
tories of California than were beinl
educated in all the big universities ant
colleges of the state and that 60 pc
cent of the prisoners were under z,
years of age. He said that the presen
laws of California look with a benign
countenance upon racetrack gambling
The district attorney stated that tn,
work of the police Of Oakland and tn
work in his own Office was increases
just as soon as the racing seasol
opened at Emeryville, and that thi
was due to the incoming of the Grimm
al and gambling element which fol
lows the races. Brown urged the vot
ers to compel the various candidate
for the legislature to go on record be
fore election day as to their attitud
on racetrack gambling.