New-York tribune., 1910-05-24
Conference of Republican Sen-
ators Not Ready to Accept
Measure.
ONLY 22 ARE IN FAVOR
Plan of Calling Caucus Aban,
doned-Speaker Wadsworth
and Assistants Show
Activity.
- rsleg-aph % The Tribune. J

-an,- senators believe that il never
,-o,71d be accepted by the conference in
a.. r-aseut shape That in their judg-
,,s,, meant that il would not pass the
sana+4 if it should be introduced there
-,-ftLo,7t the approval of the conference.
Whether or not the opposition to this
raas11re was as spontaneous as IL
-eer7e6 tonight or whether it was &C
celersted by Speaker Wadsworth and
some Of his lieutenants in the Assembly
cannot be learned definitely The Speak
or / violently opposed TO it He, AS
se-ohl,-rnan Jesse Phillips and Ray B.
S-,i-l7. clerk Of the Assembly, who aided
IN the drafting Of the Meade-P Phillips
hill were around the Senate chamber
talking with various Senators tonight
aefo-e the conference on the primary
bill convened
As drafted by Senators Cobb and Hin
man and Robert H. Fuller and Roger P
Clark. the Governors secretary and coun-
sci respectively, the bill was submitted
70 the Governor tonight He looked it
over Senator Cobb understood that if
the conference approved the bill an
er,argencx message would be forthcom-
inE. enabling ii TO be passed tonight
and signifying the Governors favorable
opinion Of It as far as il went
Details OF New Measure.
As finally evolved, the new measure is
on the lines Of the Hinman-Green bill,
amended so as TO concede city. state and
judicial conventions It provides that the
direct nominations feature shall not be
applicable to county officers Of New York
civ VIXEN city officers are elected. This
,yas done. it was stated, on the theory
Of leaving no obstacle in the way of
fusion.
MISUNDERSTANDING to national conven-
1ions are 20 be chosen by direct noTni-
nation. All party officers, including
members Of state committees. are TO be
nominated by petition only and elected
h,- the direct vote of the people Where
delegates 10 state. city and judicial con-
v-ntions are provided for they are 10 be
elected by direct vote. as are delegates
to national conventions from Congress
districts.
The ballot is the same as embodleo III
the Hinman-Green bill
Where conventions are held provisions
sra made for safeguarding the rights or
dnlv elected delegates. This provision
is similar to that embodied in the Grady
Fr;sbie bill and the so-called McCarren
hiIl of a few years ago. 1t is provided
that DO party fumes shall be USED IN
Urinary elections
statewide personal enrolment is
provided. along the lines OF the Cobb
rf-s,r lsaT7- fn
Is the same as at present in cities, while
county enrolment is 10 be made on Elec-
ton Day for the following year.
Provision Is made so that the proposed
act shall rot affect nominations already
made. but does affect delegates already
elected. The state Superintendent Of
Elections for the metropolitan district
is given authority over primary elections
in New York. The proposed act takes
eaec1 Immediately
DIGESTION Was Unexpected.
Nothing ike the opposition encoun-
tered in the conference was expected
Most Of Il was based on the fact that
under this bill the present county and
other committees would this year have
the designation Of Organization candl-
dates al the primaries. Il seems that
Eoodly number Of legislators are not
precisely in accord with some Of the
powers that be. politically, in their dis
tricts. and believe that this would bear
hard OF them. Also, the present system
of electing county committees varies So
greatly that counties in the same Sen
ate district have different bases Of rep
IN
counties as many delegates in the Sen
ere district convention in some cases as
larger counties. Also il would raise
hob generally and particularly. So
a. least. protested Senators Emerson.
Hamilton Meade, Hewitt and others.
Some opposition also was made to the
so-calIed preferential place which the
committee designated candidate for Of
ice would have on the primary ballot
ander this bill This objection was sub
sidiary 10 the other, though. on which
practically all stress was laid.
The result was that when the question
q accepting the compromise bill was
Put 10 a vote il could muster only
Twenty-Five Of the thirty-four Republi-
can Senator's in support. This. TO he
sure. represented a gain Of two over the
ole in the Senate on the Hinman- Green
nill- as Senator Emerson in the confer
ehee did not vote for the Cobb comVro-
mise II was too small for comfort
however, and Immediately showed that
q cherished plan to turn the conference
ii'1o caucus would have to be aban-
TONED Indeed. il was manifest that if
eiie caucus proposition were tried many
eenators would bolt it.
Meade Phillips Bill Discussed.
hen the Meade Phillips measure was
Fought UP for discussion il was plain
-et Il could not be made conference"
asure II had only fourteen votes in
support, and the criticism voiced
sealnst II was ten times as hot as that
aoe Of the compromise bill. The fail
e TO agree on anything left one re-
N'1fse-to take an adjournment until
"-morrow night. on that the vote was
Unanimous
opponents Of the direct primary feel
greatly heartened by the showing made
~-nlght Senator Meade thinks he viii
Scufi1ued On seccno page.