The San Francisco call., 1909-02-07
WILL FORCE LINEUP
ON DIRECT PRIMARY
Friends of Wright=StantOn Bill
Confident of Majority in
the Senate
Original Policy of Measure Will
Be Preserved by Its
Advocates
By George A. Van Smith
[Seeeial Dispatch 10 The CaIIl

CALL HEADQUARTERS. CHAMBER
or COMMERCE BUILDING. sACRA-
8IENTO. Feb. 6.-Confdent that they
have a clear majority in the senate
Senator Leroy A Wright and the
friends OF the Wright-StantOn direct
primary election bill have completed
their plans TO force lineup in the
upper house during the coming week.
The first vote taken after the Wright
Stanton bin fight reaches the floor of
the senate viii in a large degree in
dicate whether the people of Califor-
MIA are TO have a genuine direct pri-
mary election law or none. The vote
viii put every member OF the senate
on record as for or against the people,
and il the majority which Senator
Wright and his colleagues confidently
count on is brought out, the fight Will
be transferred promptly TO the assem-
bly, and another lineup forced
That the Wright-Stanton bill with
its original policy preserved viii pass
the senate when its advocates are en-
2 bled to get il away from the packed
committee on elections is generally
conceded in Sacramento tonight.
MAJORITY FOR BILL
The conference Of Independent sena-
tors which has been working day and
night since the conference was organ
ized yesterday morning. has given none
or its plans, bur its members have
checked up poll Of the senate which
shows a clear majority for the bill,
even in the event that one or two of
She senators who are pledged TO stay
with them should be pulled down. and
which, counting all the pledges at their
face value shows a total of 26 out Of
80 votes. In addition to these are sew
eral doubtful senators who could be
expected 10 mount the bandwagon when
the rollcall indicated that the musical
conveyance was under way.
The caucus Of the independent sena-
tors which was held Friday noon re-
solved itself into a committee Of the
whole for the discussion Of the policy OF
the bin generally. BY unanimous con-
sent IL was decided that the fight would
be made for the bill with several
amendments touching the machinery of
the proposed law, but none touching the
policy Of the measure.
OPPOSE wOLFE's PLAN
The Independents decided as one man
for the provisions for a primary vote on
United States senators and against the
majority nomination plan proposed by
Wolfe. which if adopted would result
IN the absolute defeat Of the purposes
of the measure.
They also decided IN the committee
Of the whole upon the general features
OF the minor changes they wished made
in the original draft and appointed sub
committees TO work out those changes.
These committees. assisted by all of
the independent senators who remained
in Sacramento over the weekend recess
have been at work on the amendments
agreed upon since early yesterday aft
ernOOn. None of these amendments run
10 the general policy Of the measure.
and their adoption viii leave the bill
a genuine direct primary measure and
almost identical with the Illinois stat
ute. which is the latest concrete ex-
preston of the direct primary idea.
and following closely the Wisconsin act.
from which the last Illinois law was
copied
The one important change is that af-
fecting the party platforms and COM
mittees. The wisconsin candidates
platform idea. which the bill provided
should be employed in the years when
state tickets were elected viii be re-
placed with a provision for platform
conventions. which will also be charged
with the duty Of selecting county COM
mittees and delegates to state conven-
tiOns. the sole duties of which will be
the promulgation Of the party plat
forms and the selection of governing
committees.
CHANGE IN POLICY
This change is in line with the
policy of the great majority of states
which nominate by direct primary
vote, and unquestionably in accord
with the majority sentiment in both
branches Of the California legisIa-
ture.
AFs,- 80 +l,a ,,,,-+ ,.. -
Of honest direct primaries We're opposed
70 the Wisconsin platform idea, basing
their objections not on the admirable
results obtained in Wisconsin, but upou
desire TO preserve the red fire of con-
vention oratory and the get together
party spirit, which they contendeo
would be preserved by conventions
which were not harassed with the bar
tering OF nominations
That there have been concessions To
differences OF opinion touching the
manner in which a direct primary cleo
ton system should be put into actual
practice there is no question. That
tnere have been no concessions of prin-
clple and that there will be none made
py the Independents is equally beyond
question. Some Of the senator's who
have lined up behind the Wright-Stan-
ton bill would like TO secure the enact
1nenl OF supplementary bill amending
tne general election laws and providing
Tor The Oregon system OF popular cleo
non OF United States senator's. They
know they can not pass such provi-
Sion In an Incorporated district primary
AGAINST OREGON IDEA
Many Of the men who are sincare
ana earnest advocates of direct
primaries are irrevocably opposed tn
the Oregon idea, while of course the
out and out programmes are opposed
TO any popular expression in the mat
ter OF the selection of United States
senators.
To force the Oregon idea meant de-
feat Tor the whole direct primary
movement, and a hopeless fight for an
idea that obtains in only one state
where It viii undoubtedly be discarded
before the sitting legislature adiourns
Realization Of that fact has resulted in
solid lineup Of the decent democrats
IN both houses for the Wright Stanton
bill and spirit OF pull together for
a measure which Will give to the peo-
PIE Of California the genuine direct
primary election law that was promised
Them by both parties and for which tbeV
polled a majority Of more than 100 ooo
votes at the November general election
ADGECT AfTTn cHntxt -