New-York tribune., 1910-01-07
MEADE REPORT SOON
ON PRTM4RY INQUIRY.
Erpected To Be against d.
rect Nominations.
IBy Telegrapb to The Tribune.l

BY TeiSEToph 20 Inc 1FtpuiN-l
Albany ian 6.-According to Senator
George Meade. chairman Of the legislative
committee which Investigated the operation
Of direct primary laws in other states. the
-enort Of that body viii be presented be
fore February l. Judge Knapp, counsel TO
.b. committee. is at work now ''briefing"
the testimony on both sides.
We had about three thousand pages OF
testimony ssid Senator Meade. Judge
Knapp is summarizing the testimony for
.he direct primary system and that against
it in the same fashion a lawyer would
draw up a brief on the subject. 1t has not
been decided Yet whether our report will
be accompanied by bin or bills"
II Is Goregone conclusion here that the
committees report will be against ihe direct
primary system. Probably ii viii recon-
mend a uniform primary day in the state,
an official primary ballot and the safe
guarding of primaries at the states expense
end perhaps a general enrolment, although
many organization men are not keen for
that feature Of the programme.
Many persons here are expressing much
disappointment that the committee stopped
its investiga ton of primary conditions in
This state too soon to come into possession
OF facts regarding the conduct of the eau
cuses in the AID Senate District, where dele
gates are being selected to name Success
scr TO Senator John Raines. According to
reports reaching this city typical examples
Of the convention systems evils have been
Shown in a fashion which might have
proved a liberal education 10 the committee
IN Wayne County for instance, 1t is said
that Democrats have taken part openly in
the Republican caucI seS. Charles II. Belts,
Republican state committeeman, candidate
for Senator on a general anti-Hughes plat
form. carried his ticket in the TO vn IF
Lyons by 50 to "a votes for Edison w.
Hamn. q candidate on the Hughes issues.
The remarkable thing about this is that
there are only about eight hundred Repub-
lican voters in the town. about one-half of
tkem farmers. who, il is said. were kept
81 home by a heavy storm. Both sides in
this 6aht charge the use of money ana the
voting of Democrats in the caucus. M.
J.otts SAWS Ar Hamn was responsible for
The Democratic votes. and that he spent
E lot Of money" Hughes men retort that
letters were sent out 10y a prominent friend
,C Belts urging voters to see me before
1i.c caucus, thcre will he something doing
another Interesting caucus which might
l-ase Gjven Information TO the investigating
c-llTllItee N&s that at Sodus. Wayne
County, where the Belts people were beaten
s0undly. Hughes men there had been ac-
tive, and a lieutenant of Belts, the story
runs. sought TO effect a compromise" a
feT days before the caucus, his terms be-
ing that the Hughes men should name four
delegates and the organization one. Later
q meeting OF the organization men was
held, after which they went on a still hunt
1or votes all through the town. The
Hughes men heard of it, and several hun
dred Of them appeared at the caucus fight
ing mad. An anti-Hughes chairman for
the caucus was chosen. The Hughes men
offered a resolution pledging the delegates
TO support only a candidate who would
vote with Governor Hughes. The organi-
zation. or Belts. men offered an amendment
that no Endorsement be given, and the
chairman declared this amendment carried,
though the story goes that there was
heavy majority against ii. AS a result, the
Hughes men carried the caucus when the
polls We're opened by eighty-seven votes out
Of a total Of 453 Then a Hughes reso-
luton was adopted.