The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-24
PROPOSED BILL
INVOLVES USE
OFOLDMFTHOD
ASsemblyman Leeds Preparing
Law Which Retains Old
Convention Evil
Direct Primary League Chief Be-
lieves Genuine Measure
Will Pass
BY George Van Smith
[SpseiaI Dispaleh 70 The Coll

CALL HEADQUARTERS CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE. BUILDING, SACRA-
MENTO. Jan Preservation of the
delegate nominating convention and its
trading evils. if not the purpose Of the
author, would result from a bill being
prepared by Assemblyman Walter
Leeds OF Los Angeles. chairman of the
assembly committee on elections.
The fanking movement on the
Wright stanton bill and pure direct
primaries las taken the TO be expected
formation. without questioning the
motives OF Leeds. who presented
genuine If incomplete direct primary
bin two years ago. the bin which he
says ne Is preparing is on its face an
emasculation Of the direct primary
principle and offers an incentive for
corrupt political organizations to at
tempt TO defeat the purposes OF
direct primary enactment
j. MACHINE MEASURE
Leeds idea involves the form of a
direct primary election. but it also
involves the nominating convention
and a system which might be manipu-
lated by a well oiled machine 10 permit
the people TO go through the motions
OF voting directly for candidates. but
leave the nomination Of a considerable
number Of candidates IN the hands Of
conventions which. quite regardless or
the character OF delegates. would be-
come inevitably the Office trading
marts. which I52. OO0 voters repudiated
at the last general election by their
votes for the d-wright direct pri-
mary constitutional amendment
Reduced TO its simplest terms. the
Leeds idea contemplates a direct vote
Tor candidates; but if no candidate for
any Office receives at least 40 per cent
OF the vote. the nomination is TO be
thrown into a convention where every
candidate viii have TO take his chance
and where the win Of the partisan
voters may be set at naught.
On its face and a cursory examina-
tion of this proposition it appears at
first reasonable enough. Does it not
prevent the minority" nomination
which is one Of the petty bugaboos of
every snti-direct primary shouter and
a real fear in the minds of many men
who really believe in direct nomina-
tiOnsp It VIII by no means prevent
minority nominations. Rather will it
result in minority nominations, as most
convention nominations are minority
nominations.
GILLETTvs NOMINATION.
Governor James n. Gillett was nomi-
mated by a majority OF the delegates
in a state convention. and including the
san francisco delegates. who We're
actually chosen by ballot, the dele
gates who nominated the governor
were chosen by less than 10 per cent
OF the republican voters of California
Substituting a 30 per cent minimum
u = provision that the candidate re-
ceiving the highest number of the votes
cast By his party for an Office shall be
the nominee for that Office. is first of all
p bid for a multiplicity Of mischievous
candidates put upon the ballot for no
other purpose than TO so divide the vote
that no candidate viii receive a ma
iority and thereby defeat a direct nomi-
nation.
The absence Of such a limitation dis
Courages mischievOus or frivolous can
didates and has tendency TO insure
against the evil which the limitation
is Ostensibly designed to cure. Only
Iowa has adopted the percentage linn
itation and in that state the minimum
which was placed at s5 per cent was
made 20 apply 70 only few nomina-
tions. The Leeds idea is compromise
which appeals TO the professional poll
tlcian, but which offers little TO the
people.
THINKS BILL WILL PASS
That the legislature will satisfy the
popular demands for an adequate and
al 10.
law by the passage Of the Wright
stanton bin without material amend
ment is the opinion of Paul Bancroft
Of San Francisco, president of the Direct
Primary league Of California. That
opinion is based on the result Of a two
days canvass OF the members of the
senate and assembly made by Ban
croft. and interpretation OF the tide
OF popular favor which has flowed with
the Wright Stanton bin from the time
that the first draft Of the proposed
measure was made public.
Bancroft came TO Sacramento TO COM
plete arrangements on behalf Of the
san Francisco board Of supervisors, the
Direct Primary league and civic and
labor organizations who will send rep
resentatiyes to the public hearing to be
held Tuesday night TO advocate the
passage Of the BILL which has the con-
ndence Of the public and press gen
orally.
MEASURE Is FAVORED
Bancroft said today, after confer
ence with Speaker Stanton:
Il have been agreeably surprised by
my canvass Of the members Of the
legislature ] have talked with only
two men who are avOwedly opposed to
the bill. OF course there are others,
but I am convinced that the great ma
foritv Of senators and assemblymen
are sincerely anxious TO redeem the
direct primary pledges made by their
parties and TO make that redemption
complete
The bill introduced in the senate b.
senator Leroy A. Wright Of San Diego
and in the assembly by Speaker Stanton
IS not an agitation Of untrfed theories
which the legislature is asked 10 enact
into a problenaa ticaI law, but COM
plete direct primary measure which
does not include A single untried or un-
proved feature II provides for the ap-
rlfcation Of the principle of direct NOM
inafIon OF partisan candidates for pub
Tic Office as that principle is applied in
wisconsin. Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Ne
braska, Minnesota and substantially as