Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-07-24
OPEN PRIMARY LAW VICIOUS
Attorney Breen Denounces it at the
Fontanelle Meeting.
MAY MAKE TEST CASE VERY SOON
Club FRvOrs Ignoring Liquor Ques-
tiOn in state Platform Because
of Nature of Ticket to
BE Named.

A test in court of the open primary law
may be made by the Fontenelle Repub.
lican club prior to the holding of the pri.
maries on August II.
This procedure was advocated by John
P. Breen at last nights meeting of the
club, but no definite action was taken. Mr.
Breen, in pointing out some of the vie
ious' features of the amended law offered
his services as a lawyer to take a case into
court, but he resisted a motion to get some
candidate to act as plaintiff and to employ
him as attorney for the reason that The
candidate might wish to employ some other
lawyer.
The open primary law is vicious, fool
ish and contrary to decisions of the su-
preme court" said Mr.. Breen. -Four years
ago the supreme court recognized party
lines in judicial elections. even holding
party lines to be a part of our scheme of
government. 1t is my opinion that the open
primary law is void for. tn roason that the
constitution was not adharod to in passing
II. Two sections of the new law are in di-
rect conflict with other sections Of the old
law which were not repealed, and 1t can
not possibly stand a test in the courts.
Vicious Possibility of the Law.
and mischievous thoughts and the movers
of it had this In mind: That If one party
put up a candidate who would be subserv-
tent TO certain interests those interests
could go to the polls and nominate him, or
they could defeat a strong man on one
ticket and nominate a weak man on the
same ticket and then mould the weak man
as they chose.
Att1r
| of election to register voters as to porty
affiiation but II we are to have an open
primary why keep a record Of party affilia-
| tion?'
Thomas w. Blackburn advised the club
| to assist in selecting delegates to the state
conv ention who would resist any attemp'
OF delegates from the rural districts from
saddling the party platform with a county
option plank.
Michael Lee thought the platform should
be silent on the liquor question and Charles
L. Saunders said that inasmucb as the
state ticket will be composed solely OF
candidates for the supreme bench AMI fol
regents Of the University Of Nebraska that
the platform should be largely of a iudIca
and educational nature. James Haynes
advised a platform dealing mainly with thu
tariff and national issues.
In Memory Sc Kennard.
The following resolutions on the deatf
of M. ]. Kennard, county commissions
from the First district, framed by com
mlttee consisting OF Frank Fl. Woodlan,
and w. H. Hatheroth, were adopted;
Whereas Death has removed from on
midst our esteemed fellow citizen and loya
coworker, Milton ], Kennard, and,
Whereas, 1t is but just that a fittinI
recognition of his many virtues should b.
had; therefore, be II
Resolved, That in the death of Milton j
KennaTd we have lost one of the mos
loyal members of this club, one who ful
filled the highest duties of citizenship an,
faithfully discharged all public trusts, an
who endeared himself to his fellow me-
by his uniform courtesy and upright con
duct.
Resolved, That we win cherish in affec
tionate remembrance his manly qualltie
and noble character
Resolved That we tender to his be
reaved widow our heartfelt sympathy an
, coincidence