The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1911-12-15
tsy ual,.a Press Leased wire,

tny uaissd Press Leased wirs)
CAPITOL, SACRAMENTO, Cal,
Dec. f5.---in a statement which re-
views In seathina terns the refusal
of the republican national commit
tee 10 allow . presidential primary
and which may result In the es'
elusion from the national eonsen-
sion of delegations elected BY the
people. Gov. Hiram w. johnson TO.
day declared that the psoaresslses
Of California will stand on the prsn.
cipie that "in tho selection of
president, "a In All matters, the
people should rule"
fio quoted n previous statement
10 the effect that the rcactiophries
alone had anything material 70
gain BY the adoption Of a preaiden-
tial primary law at this time. since
the progreAalyea are IN n position
now To send solid La Toilette del.
egagion 20 tho nominating convefi'
tlon. These facts he eontrAntsa
with the action of the national com.
mIi,ce la Washington last Tuesday
In October last" stated the
governor, while | had under con
xideration the question Of presi-
DENTAL preference primary. wrote
to Senator La Follctfe advising
him that the progrcHsiyes of Cali.
foFnia had determined that such a
primary should be held. and cx-
planned fully the situation In Cali
fornia. th. possibility that ficti-
tioua Issues might be injected Into
the campaign. and that we were,
foregoing a political certainty be-
cause Of principle.
La Foiieste's Letter
II received from him the follow.
iug letter. which quote without
comment.
Washington. ID. c.. Nov ,. 1911.
Hiram W johnson.
Sacramento.
"Ny Dear Governor johnson:
Your letter OF October 2s IN just
at hand and presents clearly the
situation.
"'if you omit the presidential
preference iaw from the subjects
To be considered by the legislature
at the extra session. which you are
about 60 convene. you viii prar.
ticaiiy control tho selection OF the
delegates to the national conven.
tion IN 1912 and they will ali be
proEressiveH.
~, would be a great thing TO
have California leading the roll call
for the progreasives In the noxt
convention. II you pass presi.
Dental preference primary law the
stand pattera may carry San Fran.
cisco and some adjoining territory
on the exposition issue. and some
OF the counties In the southern
part OF the state on the lemon tar.
IT, and Taft possibly will. without
reason. have their support on both
issues This would be very harm.
ful II would 40 all over the coun.
try that California Ia progressive
In everything. leading the older
states on most isaues. aud will sup
port Taft In whole or In part II
will appear that We are divided in
our strongholds and greatly weak
en- us. II will be very hard blow.
II viii come at a time when II may
turn the tide. You know how the
Influence Of early conventions and
elections count. and we cannot
stand II TO lose an inch OF grou -
In many OF the progressive states
and hope 20 win. The standpat or
ganization understands this and
Hitchcock secures an endorsement
for Taft every time a state central
committee assemblies for any pur.
pose
"Just One Thing Worse"
but. governor, hard as II win
be. there In just one thing that
ought 10 be and will be harder and
indeed more harmful for us. and
that would be TO throw our princi-
pies TO the dogs whenever an op.
portunity offers to gain tempor-
airy advantage by so doing II II