The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-03-16
THE SENATE.
TWENTY-FIRST DAY.
A q nrnnnn Gnccic,n

Afternoon Session.
BY letter the House informed the
Senate that it had sustained the Gov
ernors veto of the Honolulu NUM-
cipality enabling act. Also the House
transmitted various bills it had pass
ed on third reading.
PRIMARY LAW BILL
The Senate went into committee OF
the whole, Knudsen in the chair, to
consider the second reading of Sen
ate bill to provide for nominations
by direct vote.
President Smith, before leaving the
chair, invited Judge w. l.. Whitney,
author of the bill, to take a seat in
front, he having been requested to
attend the session and give any in
formation required on the measure.
Judge Whitney, at the request of
the chairman, gave an address in gent
eral terms on the principle Of nominal
tons by primary vote. He said the
system was to replace the party eau
Gus and convention. Under primary
law the party platform was promul-
gated before the primary election in
stead of after it. The successful can
didates for nomination elected the
central committee, which would con-
duct the campaign and the affairs OF
the party for two years. 1t was deem
ed wise to require 25 signatures to
the nomination of a candidate before
he could be placed on the primary
ballot. The candidates of party
must be nominated as belonging to
such party, and non-partisan candi-
dates must be nominated as such at
the same time as the party candi-
dates.
In answer to Fairchild Judge Whit
ney said the expenses would be larg-
er in way-that is expenditures now
paid out OF party funds would be
public charge. There would be one
more days pay for inspectors than
under the present system.
Smith asked what real benefit in
tits Territory was to be expected.
Whitney replied that it would in
direct way give an opportunity for
tic voice of the rank and file to be
beard in the choice of persons to
appear on the party ballots.
Fairchild said it seemed to him that
an opportunity would be given for the
machine politicians to gain their
ends.
Whitney answered that in order to
do that the machine must have the
larger number of votes. If it had the
votes it ought to win. There might
be twenty candidates and the machine
have majority to carry two of them.
Fairchild was not convinced. The
eighteen men might be so scattered
that the minority would win.
Former Senator Dickey had been
Invited to a consultative seat on the
floor, and now Coelho moved to adj
nit former Senator Emmeluth to the
same privilege. Someone else invited
Mayor Fern also to come forward.
Dickey and Emmeluth came in, also
Rev. d. Scudder, and took seats of
members which happened to be va
cant.
Dickey asked if the visitors might
take part in the discussion of the pill.
No conclusive answer was given. A
little later, when Dickey was taking
up most of the time, President Smith
suggested that the reading should be
proceeded with, allowing questions to
be asked.
Dickey showed concern over the
section that required all candidates
for elective offices nominated at the
primaries. He advocated the provision
in the Civic Federation bill, which
allowed Independent candidates to be
nominated by petition. The sole pur-
pose of nominating independent can
didates was to secure the nomination
of good men when the parties failed
to do so.
Mccarthy was in favor Of having
the law so that it would keep out boil
tiers.
No decision was taken.
Dickey criticised the length of time
for advertising the primaries.
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