The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-20
BIG FIGHT IS ON.
House Has the Primary Bill
Under Consideration.
Stubs Hopes to Defeat the
"Split" Measure.
QUESTION AT ISSUE.
Lawrence Statesman Won't Con-
sent to Provision.
Vote at Last Session on: Primary
Bill Was Close.
QUESTION AT ISSUE

1t Ii practically CONCEDED tooay ei0'e
the poison which the state senate
injected into the primary election Dill
which it passed on Saturday afternoon
will be extracted by the house.
This poisonous matter which was IN
Jected by the senate consisted OF tho
following paragraph, which. 1t is sup
posed, was intended to put Stuops OUT
of the race for United States senator OF
force him to take his choice OF TWO
offices:
mo person whose name is printed on
the general election ballot at said cleo
tion as a candidate for any other oiiioe
shall be printed thereon as canQloale
for United States senator, nor shaIl inc
name of any person be printed as
candidate for United States senator oii
more than one party ballot
The house committee on elections
which by a vote of to T. oecloeo u
favor the November primary 1or
United States senator, refused to stano
for the antf-Stubbs proposition.
The bill which the committee re-
ported to the house this afternoon. was
the Stubs primary, except that II pro
vided for the November selection OF
candidate for the United States senate.
1t also made a change in the time
for the primaries for city otfieers, SO
that city politics would not get nlHeu
up with state and national affairs.
There is no objection to this change-
At 2 o'clock this afternoon, the
house went into committee OF the
whole for the purpose of f1ght1ng IL
out on the primary law. Before the
fight commenced, the leaders of both
factions got together and agreed upon
Marquis of Queensbury rules, and oth-
er details for the conflict. 1t was de-
cided that Representative Morgan
should move to substitute the COM
mittee bill for the Stubs bill, and that
after fighting 1t out in the committee
of the whole. an opportunity would De
given Immediately afterwards for
roll call.
w. Y. Morgan, leader of the faction
which is supporting the split primary,
said this morning.
"1 am for a primary bill. believe
that it is better to have the senatorial
fight settled at the time of the NoveIa-
ber election, but am opposed TO tns
provision of the senate bill which says
that no one whose name appears on
the state ticket shall be candidate 1or
United States senator. The house
won't stand for that provision We
are going to make a fight for the NO
vember primary, but if we are beaten,
1 am for the primary law, anyway. l
believe in the primary. and If l can't
get exactly what I want, 1 am willing
to take the next best thing"
w. R. Stubbs, leader of the other
crowd. said this morning: Il beheve
that the house will stand for direct
day. That is what people want. IhaI
is the only kind that has been talked
of until the past few days. w. B:
Ham. A c. Mitch ell, Robert Stone, and
several other of the ablest lawyers on
the floor of the house believe that
primary OF the time of the November
election is of very doubtful validity,
because it interferes with the secrecy
of the Australian ballot"
H S. Thompson of Reno county, the
Jaa5ar of the Democrats on the floor,
said this morning: ''The Democratic
members have not decided what they
will do. but I expect that we Will stay
together in our actions. I do not be-
Ifeye that we will any of US favor the
split primary proposition. We want
secret ballot, and the people of the
state want a secret ballot That is the
kind of a law the house passed at the
regular session, and the people favor
that law We will not be inclined to
favor any law that does not have the
secret ballot provision"
The Caldwell primary bill is really
two bills One is a bill of 10 pages
providing merely for the nomination
of United States senator on the day of
the November election. This is
senate bill No. 1.
Senate bill No 2. also by Senator
Caldwell, is AZ pages in length and
provides the machinery for a complete
primary election, very similar to the
Stubbs bill. The Caldwell bill provides
for primary on the first Tuesday in
August, 1908 and thereafter on the
first Monday in March for each even
numbered year. for the nomination of
state, county. township, congressional
and judicial officers, ana on the first
Tuesday in March for the nomination
of city officers in cities having over
5000 population.
The Stubbs bill is 43 pages in
he
shall be held the third Tuesday of
May, 1908. and the first Tuesday in
March biennially thereafter, and on
the first Tuesday in March. 1909 in
cities having over 5000 population.
Also the Stubbs bill includes the
nomination of United States senator
otherwise the Stubbs bill is almost
identical with Senate bill No. 2.
Considered purely as a matter of
good policy. regardless of political
consideration. it is doubtful whether
there is much justification for the
provision of the Caldwell bill which
forbids anybody whose name is on
the ticket from being candidate for
United States senator. Such a pro-
vision would prevent the promotion"
of congressman and other state Off
ciaIs who had made good to the office
of United States senator Such a pro-
vision would have disbarred both
Senator Long and Senator Curtis from
running, for they were both elected
from the lower house.
Long would still have to figure on
running against Hoch. Bristow. and
possibly Chief Justice w. A. Johns
ton, but Long believed that under
section u of the act he could elect
his representative in a majority of the
representative and senatorial dis
tricts. and thereby become the nomf-
nee of his party. Long counts on
superior organization to win-and of
course that is good politics. OF
ars,rse Stuhhs is q Candidate for gov