Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-29

10 tue IldJoTlty report anu ohc hooA
to the minority report. His motion
was passed.
Mr. Prendergast, chairman of the
resolutions committee, was recognize
ed. The prospect of 2-hour debate
on the primary plank caused gen.
eral rush of spectators and not few
delegates from the hall. Mr.. Prender-
CAST said he thought the plank was
plain and spoke for itself. He said
there would be speakers later to offer
arguments in it's behalf. @
Speaker Wadsworth then took the
platform. He said that the action TAX
ell today would eventually become a
part CT the statutes of the State of New
York. He argued that the minority
report would strengthen the conven-
ton system and popularize it. The
majority report the speaker said, did
| not tell the people what they intend to
do. g..
Former Mayor Seth Low of New
York followed and spoke for the ma
| jority report and attacked the minority
| plank as fallacious.
Senator Davenport, speaking for the
majority report said the bulk of the
arguments in the state against direct
primaries came from Speaker Wads-
owrth and the editorials in the Albany
| Evening Journal, which is owned by
William Barnes, Jr.
Senator Davenport declared that no
part of the state should be exempted
from the application of the direct prim-
aries system and that it should apply
to New York county. There was great
applause to this sentiment, in which
| Colonel Roosevelt Joined.
eff you would check radicalism you
must give the people what they want.
otherwise they will break down all
barriers" added Senator Davenport.
William Barnes, Jr, took the stand
! amid tremendous applause from those
| favoring the minority report. The
| speaker declared that Senator Daven-
ports declaration that radicalism must
be met was confession that the
direct primaries plank was in itself
radical. There We're cries of NO"
Mr.. Barnes spoke warmly in favor of
the minority report declaring that the
citizen was now securing all the rights
which he desired and that it was, only
| a question of methods. There We're
cries of negation to which Mr.. Barnes
replied:
"a human mind needs to look into
| itself and first be secure before 1t can
| criticize"
| Assemblyman Robert S. Conkling oil
| New York opposed the minority report
| He said he had been a member of
| legislative committee that had investi-
| gated direct nominations and in all
| ,u.,uc found If n he allure,
| Chairman Prendergast yielded his
time to General Stewart l.. Woodford
The issue, Mr.. Woodford declared. was
not whether the state committee should
| be beaten, or whether another laurel
should he added to the brow of Colonel
| Roosevelt.
| .sIt was a distinct ISSUE" he said
| that went into every Assembly dis
trict convention in the state.
| "Shall we have an honest, fair prl-
mary election law? And Mr. Roosevelt
was elected upon that issue by ma"
| iority Of the convention. If we dodge
this question here today we are beat
en- in November and we ought to be
| beaten
| eve accept the issue-shall bosses
rule or shall the people rule? sald
| Congressman J. Sloat Fassett OF Elmi-
! ga. 1--WE are all for the direct primar.
principle. In fact. 80 per cent. of the
officers upstate are elected directly by
| the people The question is how wide
we will make the application of that
pl inciple. Methods must be adjusted to
| particular communities.
THE plank submitted by the ma =
jority is like the boys suspenders-
short enough if you're boy and long
enough if you're, a man."
Edwin A. Merritt. Republican lead
or in the Assembly, declared his I'M
compromising opposition to the ma
jority report.
| Col Roosevelt took the stand to de-
fend the majority report. He was
loudly cheered. The colonel said:
| I'VE have now come to the vital
moment in this convention and now
| by your votes you are to determine
whether the Republican party in the
state of New York is to be the party
Of progress or the party of reaction
airy.
And in the first place let me cor
rect one or two misapprehensions as
to fact. The system of direct nomi
nations has not been abandoned in
| other states of the union. I have lis
tened to gentlemen here holding UP
the Republicans of the West as people
\ whose example we should avoid. In
my Republication 1 know neither
East nor West. / have lived in the
West and l know them through and
through. / have seen direct primaries
worked there in the West. Allusion
has been made to the state of Wiscon-
sin. They have just held direct prim-
aries in Wisconsin. All the money
was used against the side that won
the overwhelming fight and the side
that won spent an amount of money
that you would hardly consider as be-
ing adequate to run a Congressional
campaign in the state of New York
| Here the colonel was interrupted by
laughter and cries Of oh"
| Exactly" he continued with en-
phasis. amid more laughter and
cheers
| An allusion has been made to the
case of Congressman Sib1ey. Great
sums were spent and improperly spent
in securing the nomination of Con-
gresham Sibley. They were spent in
influencing direct primary just as