The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-02-02
Especial Dispatch TO The Call


CALL HEADQUARTERS CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE BUILDING. SACRA-
MENTO, Feb. by a vote of to 3
the senate committee on elections went
on record this afternoon in opposition
to the idea of permitting the people of
California to have any voice in the
matter of the selectio nof their par
tisan candidates for United States sem
ator.
The people suffered a decisive rout in
the first real skirmsh for the Wright
stanton direct primary election bill in
the senate committee this afternoon.
Senators Hare, Hartman, Kennedy and
wolfe of San Francisco Savage of San
Pedro and Leavitt of Alameda voted
for Senator Leavitrs motion to strike
from the Wright-Stanton bill any and
every reference to a popular vote for
partisan candidates for United States
senators.
VOTE FOR PEOPLES RIGHT
Senators Wright, Stetson and .Estu-
dillo voted to give the people the right
to express their choice for United States
senator. which the people have demand
ed and for which they believed they
were voting when they ratified the
Held-Wright direct primary constitu-
tional amendment by a majority of
more than 100000.
Taken at: its face value. the vote
in the senate committee this after
noon was declaration on the part
OF two-thirds of the committee that the
people of California were not entitled
to and should not have a direct vote
on United States senators, which is now
enjoyed by the people of two-thirds of
the states of the union. But it was ac-
tually rejection of the phraseology
of the Wright-Stanton bill. Had a.
vote been taken on any amendment
offered by Senator Wright, which in
different terms saved to the people an
advisory vote within their respective
parties. 1t would have been adopted, as
both Senators Kennedy and Hare had
announced before the meeting THAT an
amendment would remove their OBJ
jections.
Senator Wolfe prevented the amend
ment going to vote by pleading that
he might wish to offer further amend
ments on the same subject anda secur-
ing an adjournment until o'clock to-
morning, when in all probability not
more than a bare quorum will be
present.
ALL MEMBERS PRESENT
The meeting of the senate committee
this afternoon was the first at which
all the members have been present On
two occasions, Senators Savage and
Hartman declined to attend. although
they were in the senate chamber. and
not.engaged in the consideration of any
legislation. They were all on the Job
this afternoon to back up Leayftt's mo-
ton to strike out the senatorial pro-
visions. That they can all be rounded
up tomorrow morning is improbable.
and upon the attendance of Hare and
Kennedy depends the formation on
which a m nv oF
mittee can be based
Leavitt, in support of his motion to
strike out all references to United
States senators, contended that the peo-
pie had no right to any vote advisory
or otherwise in the matter of United
states senator's, and declared further
that the people had no right to believe
that they were voting for something
that would give them a voice in the
selection of United States senators
when they voted for the direct primary
amendment at the November election.
SENATOR WOLFE'S STAND
Senator Wolfe vigorously supported
Leavitt's motion and argued that the
majority he received in his senatorial
district was conclusive proof that the
people did not want vote on United
States senator. He admitted, however.
that that question was not a prominent
issue III the campaign in his district
and he also admitted that he would
permit the people of his district
through their convention to instruct
him in the matter of voting for a can
didate for United States senator.
Senator Wright, in support of the
provisions of the BILL contended that
no legislator could honestly object to
securing an expression of the wishes
of his constituents on any public cues
ton, and that there was no question of
more general public interest than that
of the personality and attachments of
candidates for United States senator.
Wright insisted that when the people
by majority of more than 100000 rat
flied the Held Wright direct primary
amendment they expected and believed
that the legislature would enact some
provision enabling them to register
their wishes touching senatorial candi-
dates.
SUPPORTED BY STETSON
Senator Stetson vigorously supported
the provisions of the bill. He said that
the people of California not only had
right to an advisory vote on United
States senators. but they expected the
Legislature to give 1T to them. Grant