The San Francisco call., 1909-01-17
MACHINE PLANS
MAKESHIFT FOR
DIRECT PRIMARY
Enemies of Measure Start Fight
to Avoid Redeeming Plat
form Pledges
Leaders EndeavOr to Cloak Hos
tiIity to Bill Under Many
J. Subterfuges
Governor Impartial and Viii
Sign Whatever Law on the
Subject Is Passed
By George Van Smith
lSpeciOl Dsputch 10 The Call
. NATr


: CALL HEADQUARTERS. CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE BUILDING. sAcRA-
MENTo. Jan. 1e.-That the machine
leaders do not intend to keep faith IN
the matter OF their pledges TO enact an
honest and adequate direct primary
election law is no longer open to ques-
ton. Some kind OF a direct primary
is the machine program and some
kind" means a makeshift and an excuse
for redemption Of platform pledges
and compliance with the direct primary
mandate delivered at the polls by 1872
600 electors who voted for the Held
Wright direct primary constitutional
amendment
PLAN MAKESHIFT LAW
Machine leaders realize that they
must 90 through the motions of at
tempting TO pass something that they
can call a direct primary election law;
and TO make good without keeping
faith with the people the purpose
% enact, II possible, a direct pri-
mary election law which shall apply
only to the nomination Of local and
that il the peoples demand for a gen
uine direct primary election law is not
TO be defeated that demand viii neces-
sarily be enforced IN q man TO man
fight on the floors of the assembly and
Senate, where every senator and as
.-semblyman can be put on record and be
made TO answer to his constituents.
Machine leaders are admittedly hos
tile to the direct primary. and they
cloak their hostility behind a dozen
subterfuges. So little in earnest were
some OF the leaders IN both houses
touching their direct primary pledges
that they have not yet learned what
direct primaries mean. One of the most
prominent men In the lower house
asked me today TO differentiate between
: a direct primary system and a the le-
galized intermediary primary system
employed IN San Francisco, Los An
geles, Oakland and eight other Cali
tornia cities.
MORE EXCUSES OFFERED
I: Excuses for the anticipated failure to
enact a decent direct primary law are
multiplying with characteristic rapid
fly, and the poor man In politics has
been the recipient Of more sympathy
within the last 10 days than he had re-
.ceived IN the preceding 10 years In Cal
ifOrnia- But at last the real crusher
proponents. They are told that If
comprehensive direct primary election
law is enacted It viii be only a club to
be used by the country press Of Cali
fornia for extortion.
The newspaperman has at last been
disclosed in his true light. He is
blsckmailer demanding that the state
give him a direct primary election law,
through which he may mace every man
who seeks public office and who will
defame the character and blight the
fortunes OF every aspirant who dares
deny his demand for blood money. Not
pretty argument and unfortunately
one that no political manipulators dare
make IN the open, but Il is being used
20 the shame OF its instigators. all Of
whom have been the beneficiaries at
one or another time Of some newspa-
per's faith IN their honesty and decency
HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE
True, some Of them no longer have
the confidence OF those newspapers who
know them, nor are they entitled TO
that confidence. They fear the news
papers. But honest public servants
have no more to fear from newspapers
than have honest public servants in
those states where direct primary sys-
TENS have resulted in giving the people
OF all parties the highest type of citi-
orally the best types OF public servants.
The attitude OF the machine leaders
and wheel horses does not necessarily
reflect the sentiment Of the membership
OF the two houses. I am convinced that
a majority Of both houses is in favor
OF an honest redemption Of the plat
form pledges Of their parties I am
also prepared to believe that that ma
5ority viii be compelled to take the
matter Of that redemption into its own
hands.
Governor Gilett will sign any direct
primary election bill that may be sent
20 him He makes possible reserva-
.tiOn and that not positively in the case
OF a bill which shall be wholly vision
airy or obviously impracticable. He will
not advocate the enactment OF q com
Frehensive direct primary law or take
any part for or against the people. He
hopes the Legislature viii pass a good
bill, but good or bad he Will sign IL.
He said again today:
WILL SIGN PRIMARY BILL
7 hope they will prepare the best bill
possible-one that will cure the evils
from which they sufer-but whatever
direct primary bin is passed I viii
sign"
1t Is up TO the people of California
now TO watch their representatives In
senate and assembly The mandate
backed up by $4,000 votes has not
convinced the leaders that the peonle
can not be fooled They are preparing
20 try II on the dog" which means that
II the dog Is not alert he will get a
Done with mighty little meat on II