New-York tribune., 1910-05-23
PRIMARY COMPROMISE
MEASURE FINISHED
Expected to Reach the Senate
Tonight if Approved by
Governor Hughes.
EXTRA SESSION LIKELY
Prospect Of Assembly Passing
ANY Real Direct Nomina-
tions Bill Seems
Very Remote.
Ry Telesraph to The Tribune.

Albany. May 22-The compromise
direct primary bill which the committee
Of Republican Senators hopes will meet
the approval of Governor Hughes Wa.
completed tonight It will be submitted
10 the Governor Tomorrow If it suits
him il viii be printed and introduced to-
morrow night, either as substitute for
she Cobb bill or Senator Humans meas
ure after the vote which killed that bill
has been reconsidered. 1t seems fair to
assume, as most people here are doing.
that the bill viii suit the Governor, as
fsr as it goes. It is. as The Tribune
ediJoriaIly urged on Saturday it should
he and as il predicted this morning it
would be, virtually the Hinman-Green
bill. so far as the ballot is concerned,
and provides for the direct nomination
Of Assemblymen. Senators, Congressman
and county officers on a plan almost
identical with that Of the Governors bill
Working with Senator Cobb and mem
bers Of the legislative bill drafting force
on il to-day were Roger P. Clark. the
Governors counsel and Robert H
Fuller, the Governors secretary, both of
whom had much to DO with the framing
Of the Hinman-Green bill Senator Cobb
said tonight that he expected the Sen
ate would pass the bill. He does not care
whether II is passed under his name or
Senator Humans, SO long as II is
passed, and puts the Senate squarely on
record on this important issue. He says
he has no information about the attitude
e the Assembly, and refuses to specu-
late about IL.
Rules Committee Under Control.
Whatever speculation is done places
Speaker wadsworth and AssembIyman
Merritt squarely, even violently, in op-
position TO the abolishment Of any con-
7ention- The fact that they were able
L. pass the MeaGe-Phillips bill n the
assembly, retaining the convention sys-
TEN. settled the future attitude Of the
lower house, SO far as they were con-
cerned- They can control every man on
the Rules Committee on this issue. and
Is takes one hundred votes TO discharge
mat committee. Talk Of calling a eau
Gus 10 make the compromise bin a eau
Gus measure ipt-tlae lower branch is
-e-~srd- but direct primary people do not
seem ssnsuine about deriving any IA
rorabic result from that course. AS
sembIyman Jesse Phillips. one of the
most bitter opponents OF the direct pri-
mary scheme, is chairman Of the Assem-
bly caucus He and his fellows feel per-
tectly certain that they could control
ny caucus against any form of a direct
inclined to agree with that view of the
-iruation
There remains, therefore. a prospect
ier the calling of an extraordinary ses-
siou prospect which causes every
1egislator to feel far from overjoyed.
let most Of them consider il inevita bic
II the Speaker and mis- Rules Committee
refuse TO report the Cobb compromise
bili for vote. IF the Legislature were
10 adjourn without enacting any pri-
mary legislation most people here feel
sure there would be q violent protest
from all parts of the state, with an &C
tive demand on the Governor for an eX-
trs session Legislators point out that
the Governor has educated the public to
= Keen sense Of the urgent necessity for
primary reform Some Of his professed
supporters have criticised him because
he did not jam the Hinman-Green bill
through the Legislature by an exercise
~ the old OdeI methods
Soeaker Tenacious OF Views.
Hughes men know that the Governor
Is quite as anxious to have a proper
lon his
scar IS the most earnest exponents Of
the Hinman-tireen bill, though he could
not sec that his duty carried him to
that extent The opinion is pretty gen
crsf here however. that he wou1d not
consider il beyond the bounds of proper
'xe"utive action to bring the Legis-
latUre hack here promptly if final ad-
jo';-nment we're taken without an
agreement between the houses on
primary bill. Whether this outlook,
roupIed with the fact that responsible
81 for the extra session would inevi-
1shlr be placed on him. will cause the
Speaker 10 abate his enmity to any
iaing looking like direct primary bill
1enaius 70 b. seen The chances are
ia5t II wiz not. The Speaker is tena-
cious Of his views He believes sin
cereiy that abolishment of the conven-
;iou system would spell disaster and
destruction TO all American institutions
lie is a hard fighter and when pressed
10 the danger line none too choice in
lis weapons, as was shown in the de-
1eat this year Of the Hinman-Green
Lii
u appears TO most persons here al
most incredible. even if there were
enough votes To pass he compromise
Ism. that the Assembly could take it
away from the Speaker in any fashion
i he determined TO hold il in the Rules
Committee. The only way to make
sure Of getting Il before the House for
vote. save with the Speakers con-
seat, would be through the caucus, and
That prospect does not seem joyous 10
The direct primary men in the lower
house yho have canvassed the situa-
ilon IL the hast couple Of days Ac-
G. f-rdingty there remains, to throw a
Fihadow over The last week Of the ses-
sl9n. the likelihood Of an extraordinary
session on primary legislation.
APPROVAL FOR MORTGAGE GIVEN
albany ASey p -Av,nrovsl has been given