Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-05-05
AGAIN MARY ANN
GOES GL|MMER|NG
AssEMBLYMAN MCCONNELL TRIES
TO SAVE 1T BUT VOTES
WERE AGAINST HIM.
TWESME AND HAMBREcHT MAKE
VIGOROUS ARGUMENTS IN
OPPOSITION.

Madison, May /.
| In the first stage of it's advancement
the mooted Mary Ann or second choice
bill was killed by the assembly yester-
| day morning by the decisive vote OF
| 81 to 10.
Mr.. Mcconnell made valient effort
| to save his pet measure from defeat,
| introducing an amendment finally to
| have the question submitted to a vote
of the people. Action on this amend
ment was given preference over a
| second amendment, and it was on this
question that the debate ensued.
Mr.. Mcconnell contended that in
asmuch as the original primary cleo
| ton bill was enacted into a law after
| proposition which involved improving
the system should likewise provide
| for a referendum.
Admitting that there were defects
in the present primary system, Mr..
Mcconnell quoted from a speech by
Governor Hughes of New York to up
hold his contention that in other
states as well as Wisconsin the opin-
ion prevails that the principle OF pri-
mary is truly representative.
The principal defect in the prevail
ing system, he continued is that it
permits minority candidate to Sc
cure the nomination. In consequence,
he maintained, political parties are
becoming discredited because they
cannot get majority nominees Tor
principal offices. A comprehensive
description of the second choice plan
proposed in the bill was then given,
and the speaker closed with strong
appeal for the assembly to take the
initiative in curing the defects in the
present system by advancing the bill
under consideration
In opening his argument, Mr.
Twesme said he believed the primary
election was fixture in this state and
that he would favor any proposition
which tended to improve the system.
But the Mcconnell bill, he continued,
main argument in favor of the plan
was that it would secure a majority
nomination, the speaker said he would
show to am absolute certainty that
the measure did not accomplish its
purpose.
With the assistance of charts con-
tanning copies of imaginary primary
election returns, Mr.. Twesme then
went on to prove that by the process
of eliminating the low candidate on
each count under the second choice
plan, it would be found that the win
ner was often a minority candidate
and nominated by minority of the
voters.
Mr.. Hambrecht produced additional
charts and proceeded to summarize
the returns on several primary cleo
tions. He demonstrated how a willy
politician running for an office might
persuade a number of men to run
against him with the instructions to
have the voters who supported these
candidates ON the first choice vote for
way leading candidate who seemed
assured of nomination might be de-
feated. Mr. Hambrecht also showed
how a difference of one vote in the
primary under certain conditions
might make a difference of dozens OF
votes in the result and cause the de-
feat of the popular candidate He
pronounced the system vicious and
susceptible to all sorts of manipuia-
tionS.
Mr.. Hull said he favored the bill
because this state had just passed
date who received only quarter OF
the votes cast was nominated.
Mr. Mcconnell. in closing, recalled
that every step of the election re-
forms in Wisconsin had been fought
vigorously. The system proposed, he
argued. works exceedingly well in
Australia. Practically admitting that
the situations pictured by Messrs.
Hambrecht and Twesme might be
realized. Mr. Mcconnell contended
they were no worse at the worst than
prevailing conditions. and that the
second choice plan held forth nope OF
improvement
The amendment was then defea ed
by vote of 81 to 10. and the bill in
definitely postponed by an overwhelm-
| ing vote.