The San Francisco call., 1909-02-18
TWO MAJORITY
FOR WRIGHT
STANTON BILL
Direct Primary Measure Viii
Pass Today if Pledges
Are UnbrOken
Wolfe and Willis Abusive in
Argument Against
Honesty
ReYile Newspapers and Men
Who Support Good
Government

PIE and who do not want TO know how
TO represent the p-e-e-p-u-r' painfully
and sueeringly spelling his last nasty
fling at the great body of the cleo
torate Of California. All these things
and more they heard. but not one word
OF argument touching the provisions of
the bin which. II enacted. viii be an
honest and complete redemption of the
direct primary pledges made the people.
Trap Not Sprung
The senate and the big gallery saw
Herrin's old time masters Of the upper
house. falling TO spring the trap they
had lined for young and. as they
believed, gullible senator, resort to the
snarling bilingsgate OF the beaten
man. which until this session they have
not been compelled 10 use for years.
II all came about as the result of
Senator Roseberry's desire to speak
again on the provisions of his ingeni-
Gus postal direct primary before he
laid il away for two years and took
up his share Of the fight for the enact
ment Of the Wright-Stanton bill.
Senator Roseberry did not expect his
bill 10 be passed. At no time from
the date Of its introduction has he
labOred under any delusious about the
ultimate fate OF his revolutionary
measure He has. however, believed in
Il, and in the theory that the postofhce
department VIII ultimately become the
medium through which the electors of
the nation viii cast their ballots. He
wanted an opportunity 10 discuss his
bill for what he termed educational
purposes before the fight on the
Wright-Stanton bill was precipitated.
Senators Wright. Boynton and the
other friends of direct primaries helped
him get tnat opportunity this after
noon. lie made his argument sQuarely,
manfully. and then the machine men
called him TO the chair TO preside
over the fencing for position by which
they hoped 10 make him and his bill
the weapons with which they could
knife the Wright-Stanton bill.
The row came on the question Of
sending ROseberTy's bill 10 the second
reading. Senator Wright announced
that he would oppose the motion, be-
cause, he said, the question Of whether
the people Of California are to have a
good or a bad primary law is to be
answered in this senate tomorrow, and
I want Senator ROseberry to be free
10 take part in the answering Of that
A-CoA4Nil- ~ e are 70 hlOW LOLlOIEOW
whether this senate is in favor OF a
law for the people or one against the
people"
That was the blow that brought
Wolfe TO his feet
I have been reading that sort OF
stuff in the newspapers" shouted the
little senator from san Francisco,
reading II in newspaper which
claims a proprietary interest in this
Wright-Stanton bill
ReViIes Newspapers
1T is a scheme TO put a faction in
pOwer-it is a scheme to put a club
In the hands Of the newspapers to
beat out the brains Of men who will
not obey what they call the mandates
OF the people. These newspapers have
the effrontery to dare to say that a
man who differs from them is an
enemy Of the people. II is unholy 1t
is unclean- 1t is a humbug, a fake, a
sham which the newspapers are trying
10 jam down your throats."
Then The Cali and its representatives
got the certificate of good character.
which is necessarily involved in Wolfe's
disapprovaL The Call. said Wolfe. had
been spat upon and kicked by the peo-
pie Of the thirty seventh and thirty
eighth assembly districts in San Fran
cisco 1t had lied about Wolfe. It's
political editor was a miserable thing,
who had dared say under his own sig
nature that the senate committee on
elections had been packed against the
people by Lieutenant Governor Warren
Porter Also that same political editor
had been permitted TO sit on the floor
with the senators. He had been treated
like a gentleman: he had almost been
permitted 10 lobby for the Wright
Stanton bill. He had misrepresented
Eddie Wolfe and the real blown-in-the
bottle friends Of direct primaries. The
proper thing 10 DO, said Wolfe. was to
make a real direct primary law out of
the Roseberry bill, take the ballot to
every hreside. and show up the snide
reformers.
WILLIS IN A FERMENT
Willis steadied himself and took a
hand. he said be had been fermenting
ever since q newspaper had at
tempted to draw a primary bill for
the republican party. He was going to
continue fermenting until the morrow
and then let everything in me out"
Tomorrow viii be our day" cried
Willis. 1T viii be a field day We
VIII have our innings. We do not know
how and don't want 10 represent the
p-e-e-p-u-l. The outs want TO get the
ins out. Funny, isn't st. how few re-
formers get into Office under our pres
ent system? I DO not take my tips
from San Francisco newspaper.
When convict draws a bill l begin
10 suspect''-
do you refer TO Judge NJ r. Dool-
ing OF Hollister?" demanded Boynton,
Indignantly,
i am the author OF this bill.> Does
the senator mean TO reflect on my
Character" cried Senator Wright
Willis backed up a bit with half
hearted apology. which he spoiled by
saying that every time he mentioned
direct primaries ne touched a sore spot.
and explained why he has been dubbed
'Narcissus" by crying: My name has
not been mentioned in a certain news
paper for 10 days When led the de-
bates. everybody else's name has got in
the papers but mine"
Leavitt rushed into the breach with
q neat little talk about senatorial cour-
tesy. demanding that the Roseberrv
bin be sent to second reading. Rose
berry resigned the gaveT and took the
floor to announce: I realize that nv
bin can not pass. I believe in it. but
I believe IA the enactment of a direct
primary law more than ] care for any
pet scheme Of my own. Ny time will
come. / wish now to keep faith with
the people. 7 wish my bill to be de-
MED a second reading"
LeaNitt returned to the attack with