The sun., 1910-05-14
PRIMARY BILL WORKINGS
EXPLANATION BY Mr.. PHILLIPS
or DETAILS o. NEW LAW.
The AssemblymEn Replies % Criticisms
% the Dil Passed On Wednesday ~
the Assembly Compares u WIN
Present. law and ninman-GPeen nfll.

the Assembly Compares u win
Present. law and llinmah-Green Bill.
ALAANI. May iS.-Asssmblymah J. 3.
PHILIPPE in answer 10 many criticisms
OF the Meade-Phillips direct primary
bill which passed the Assembly on Wednes-
day said tonight.
Under the Meade Phillips hill the
members OF Congressional district COM
mittecs, Judicial district committees and
Senatorial district committees can per-
form no function except to hx tho time
and place Of holding the several conven-
tons in and for their districts They do
not have the power 10 designate candi-
dates. and therefore there is no reason
why they should he elected by direct
vote.
Candidates for town Offices and village
Offices are now elected by direct vote
In practically every town and village
throughout the state. and Il IL fair TO
assume that the method Of selecting
such officers will not be changed.
Candidates favored by the party
organization under the Meade Phillips
ball receive a preferential pOsition on the
ticket OF precisely the same character
a. that given under the Hinman-Oreen
ball. In the Meade Phillips bill they are
gwen the first column; under the HinmGn-
Green bill the first numbered position.
There is no difference in principle between
the two propositions.
Under the Meade-Phillips bill. as under
the HinmAn-Green bill the power Of
designation IL confined 10 members Of
committees which are elected in the first
instance by direct vote Of the enrolled
voters and placed upon the ballot by
petition only. without party column
or emblem or preferential position. 80
the two bills do not differ in principle in
that respect.
The provisions Of the Meads-Phillips
bill az to the arrangement Of candidates
In columns to he voted for on the ballot
is precisely that Of the present election
law, and the provisions Of the present.
election law as to the placing upon the |
ballot Of independent candidates. voting |
for candidates and CAnvassing the vote |
for candidates u continued without /
change There Ia no more difiiculty for /
any voter % vote for the candidate Of /
his choice on this ballot than on the ballot !
used az elections. Instead of having 70
make from two 70 thirty individual II
marks upon a Me ssachusetts ballot with
which he u wholly unfamiliar. a. e re-
quired under he Hinman- Green bill tho
voter under the Meade.Philhps IT'LL 10
voting a ballot with which he 10 thor
oughly familiar in every respect and has
all tho advantages thst aAid familiarity
with the hallot can give.
The provision relative % the name 81
a candidate appearing more than Once
upon the ballot 4 limited N his name ap-
pearing more than once on the hallOt for
the same position lie purpose n 70 pre-
vent the duplication II the same tickets
On the ballot under diherent emblems,
intended soiely "a confuse the voter and
not - fulfill any legitimate puTpose.
This was fully Illustrated by the Sew York
,allot this year. which by duplicate nom
nations was made - wide and unwieldlv
~ t0 he impractical In USE The pro-
vision A. 10 IN" assignment u positions
iTun the ballot by the custodian ~ pri-
mary rNcoFds - preC rely that of the pres
snt election law.
The provision II the Meade -Phillipa
hill providing for the optional adoption
0y county organizations the menhsrs
u which ars elected by direct vote and
nominated by petition, Of the so-called
fireCt primary principle IN voting for =
,andidates makes Il possible for the people
Il every county 10 have direct primaries
'or all 0ficer- elected within that county.
II favored by the party organizations Il
he Counfias II would enable by direct I
vote In the primaries New York county !
% nominate all Officers below the grade
4 those chosen by the people of the entire (
state: In kinEs. Erie. Westchester and
Monroe counties 0f all below the grade
4 Justice n the Suprome Court; In Onon-
lago Queens, oneida and Albany all
Glow the grade II Congressman and IN {
VERY other county - the State Of all be- !
yss fIa srvasfa ~ Eauafow