New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-30
PRIMARY FARCE MAY
BECOME A TRAGEDY
Bill Before Senate Practically
Same as Cobb's of
Last Year.
DEMOCRATS LOSE HEADS
House at One Time Substituted
Human Green Measure for
One Favored by Gov
ernor Dix.


Albany. Sept 2q.-To show accurately the
quality Of their sincerity on the direct
nominations question, the Democrats in the
Senate to-day enacted a farce around the
Governors message urging the passage Of
g genuine direct nominations measure. The
farce moy develop into a tragedy for those
who oppose direct nominations, though, for
the last act has not been PLAYED yet, and
there is in the acts so far outlined the pos
sibility Of a climax in the adoption Of
rather thorough going direct nominations
measure. about like one Governor Hughes
advocated. except IS TO its ballot.
Like all good farces, the one played to-
day abounded in surprises. although the
surprises came 10 the players 1t began
when Senator Ferris. who is handling what
is supposed 10 he Governor DiX's admin
istration bill. had IT taken from the Jul
dietary Committee and sent it on its way
70 what most Senator'S supposed would be
It's death With a merry little speech
Senator Human. who handled the Hughes
Greet nominations legislation. Immediately
knocked about a hundred holes IN the
Ferris bill He declared no true advocate
% direct nominations could vote for II, as II
was drawn in the interest Of the machine
rather than tho voters. lie showed that "
did not AT all meet the recommendations Of
Governor DIX eyen. II did not provide for
the direct election or state committeeman;
the judicial. Congress and Senate commit
tees designating the candidates in districts
con1prising more than one county consist
not Of members % the committee, but OF
The chairrnen and secretaries Of the county
committees in the districts petitions for
in6ependent candidates must he signed by
4 per cent OF the vote for Governor m the
district IN which they were candidates;
there was only a week allowed for oppoSI-
ton TO the machine ticket, and, hnaily' IL
,roySded FOR a party column ballot Ike one
which caused Governor Hughes to veto the
Meade. Phillips bill. declaring it was 'inde-
fensible" in a primary reform measure. lie
found many faults IN the drafting OF the
bill and wound up ny offering the Hinman-
Green statewide bill Of the Hughes era as
q substitute. To the great surprise OF every
hodv. not excepting Human himself ms
motion was carried by vote ~ Is 10 I''
Several direct nominations Democrats IN
ending sake. Burd, LOOMS, Roosevelt ana
others. voted for II.
The or-snization Democrats At once los'
their heads Senator Ferris moved that tho
ballot provided for In his bill he suosu-
tuted for the ballot in the Hinman-'rce"
measure. which had taken the place OF MS
bill. This amendment. wholly niormal ana
ont OF order. under the procedure OF the
Senate. was put 10 vote by formal rolf
call and carried. IS 10 % Hnman pro-
tested against il. declaring tha, this ballot
would in effect Kill the bin for which the
Senate had lust voted. Grady advocated
The Ferris change. inveighins against the
Nsssa chuse:ts form Of ballot nroFueu ioI
in the IIinnan bill
'If YOU want 20 vote for a Massachusetts
ballot. either for primary or Election Day
% So" he said, land may God have mercy
on vour soulsl'
Ferris, having bser victorious on tnal
change. then moved that the liinman Dill
10 amended by excluding from II all rel
erence TO the nomination Of state ohlcers
nv direct primary. Hinman opposed that'
TOO Bracket called attention TO the farci-
cal character Of The amendments as Ferris
offered them by word Of mouth. He aud
Iiinmar said if they were 10 he made N
good faith Il would take a committee many
hours 70 draft them 10 fit the BILL ana u
was foolish to fuss around violating Sen
ate rules and presidents as they were do
ing.
Nevertheless. vote was taken on Fer
ris's second suggestion, and ii was de-
clared carried Then Grady, apparently los
ing all sight OF rules, tried to have the bill
thus verbally amended put on its final pas
sage. lie expected it 10 he killed Hinmar
loin.ed out that no bill amended. ever
properly, could be passed the same day, eN
ccpt with an emergency message. anC
finally Ferris and Bracket reluctantly ldi'
the measure aside
As the bill stands, it is practically th'
Cobb nil OF last year, providing for direc
nomination Of all save state officials an'
the direct election OF party committees. eX
cent that II will have the New York STATE
form of ballot, which Governor Hughes OPP
posed for primary purposes. Direct nom
nations men i'm general say they are no
disappointed at the result which is muci
better than they expected TO get from any
Democratic bill They say they will pas
# tomorrow and put il UP 10 the Assem-
bly,. ORGANIZATION Democrats who do not
favor direct nominations say the Senate
viii kin this hybrid measure tomorrow
taking 10 chances Of sending IL 20 the AS
Sepnhlv