Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-31

" ~ stNeiiNDeLsEioT Au7tduct, nv titSfl
of waterviIle and the city of Augusta
aifd the cityscr s4artifsiea.. .Yrenis
are going NJ get every cotnty yffice.
Tho country towns won't get AMY or
them because a man is going to mark
according to his town because he nat
urally knows the candidate from his
cwn town and perhaps does not know
the. otlers.k Ninety per cent of the
people are gs5ing to do that way. Fer
that reason the man who lives in An-
giIsta is going TO be nominated over the
man IN the counrS town because there
are more people i'll Augusta than IN Il
country town. People will mark for
the people that live in their own town
Mr.. CHASE; of York: | wish To ask
question. Would not that saifte rune
apply in case of nominations of rep
resantattvcs TO Congress where there
are Two or three candidates.
Mr.. WILLIAMSON: Ii would in a
LESSER degree, but usually men who are
eaadidates for Congress are so we'll
fh6wn among the people that the peo-,
pile could inteiligently vote for them.
Now how does this law work out in
New hampshire? The county OF Rock
ingham contains 81 towns. It has 81
900 population: Portsmouth has 10000
Inhabitants, and Exeter has got about
5000. There are no other towns of
mare than one or two thousand Last
fall the dominant party nominated Il
sheriff, county solicitor. treasurer of
deeds, register of deeds, register of
probate and three county commissioners
Portsmouth got five, Exeter got three
ana the country towns gor left. That
is the way it worked out there. And
so J might go through with the other
counties that have here Where there
are large towns. under the Davies bill,
it means that all the cities of this
state and large towns will get all the
county offices in either party and no.
body can prevent it.
Mr.. DAVIES: Mr.. Speaker, q word
as to how 1t works. / wish to call at.
tcntiOn to what one of the first gentle
men in New HAMPSHIRE said about it.
the Hon. Frank $. Streetcr. Fifteen
states have adopted 4 mandatory pri-
mary law. It's operation in New lamp
shire has been so successful and so
satisfactory as 10 command the strong
favorabl" opinion Of men originally
hostile 10 it. II it has any enemies,
when ] doubt. they can have no hope
of securing a repeal Of this law" That
was the opinion of General Streeter
Eighty per cent. of the people of the
United States now choose their candf-
dates by direct primaries The sys-
ten originated in PENNSYLVANIA - or
100 Years ago and has been in opera
ton since that time; 50 it is no new
thing. 1 have here the opinions of
several prominent gentlemen, Cover
norS and eX-GOvernorS of various states
giving their opinion of the law. and all
III favor of it. From nearly every
state where that law is in operation,
testimony of similar kind ha
been given as to the efficiency and
practical working of the direct primary
Governor Hughes Of New York called the
Legislature in special session for the pur-
pose of enacting hHsspecial primary law.
Mr.. MILGER of Artiand Mr.. Speaker,
l fear thatsthe eoIpittee were divided in
to three cpsses in regard to- this matter,
some doubtful about dhe prjmaryalaw any
way. Others in favor of the fe4hell meas
ure, others want TO extend, it to Be entire
nomination including the county kcers> /
would suggest that the Penaef IL which.
confines it to Governor and Confressr,sn
Is The proper one for us to pass at .shis'
t'rhe. linen let us See how that works. = If
we Ike ii We can continue it and can ex
tshd II Ii we don't like il We can abolish,
it.
Mr.. AUSTIN of Phillips MR. speakent
! DO not certainly believe that a dir.sdS
primary especially as it applies 10 caffA
dldates for Governor and REPRESENTATIVE II
Congress and to United States Senator 10
gong to operate exclusively towards eleat.
ing what You might call tire real choice NJ
the people at all times. n do NOT th,,t
body fears the choice OF The people bpt
The question that tiaubl& me is that il
might open the dootsto asmagoguery and
The result might be that, the man who
mad the most capital at his disposal and
could advertise himself the most would be
the man that would be most prominently
brought before the people and therefore
would be likely TO win out. That is the
only objection | ever had to the primary
law fear it will not register the honest
public opinion of the voter of our State.
But | believe there is demand of the
State OF both parties for q primary cleo
ton law, and ! believe IL q primary lee
ton law is TO be tried in this State We had
better begin at home. as near the people
as we can. The candidates for our coun-
ty Offices and for the Legislature are
known among the people of the various
counties. If il is Il good thing to apply
to the head of the ticket it is a good thing
to apply 10 the whole ticket. and l am
heartily in favor of the Davies Bill GO
ing before the people.
Mr.. PATTANCALI4: Mr.. Speaker, unless
the Davies Bill is accepted without change
by the Legislature II must be submitted
TO the people to vote upon. Pending that
Bill going 10 the people 10 vote upon four
members Of the committee have recommend
ed Bill which can go into effect now. I'M
der which the people will in 4 sense ,ex-i
pertinent with the direct primary. II seems
TO me it would be the part OF wisdom for
the Legislature TO accept the majority re-
port of the committee and give this BiIL(
No. 7G6. an immediate passage. Personally
| have not become converted TO the idea
that direct primary is either necessary
or advisable 10 the people of Maine, but.
both political parties pledged themselves
to direct primary Bill. Sipse the passage
of the State income tax il has been as