The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-10-24

Ours, Padden. Porter, Robinson, san:
ders, Shock, skaggs, Steele, Thomas,
Throckmorton, vanMeter. wildman,
and wysong-Ss.
Against the Resolution - wetzei
tspeaker), -Beleher, Carr, Carroll,
Clifford, currle, Dice, Gilkeson,
Goode. Hager. Hays, Hubbard, Ice Of
Marion, Kane, Keister, Kidd, Lacy,
Marcum, Morris, Mccauley, McIntlre,
Ogden, Owens, Parsons. Pemberton,
Pence, Pugh, seibert, Shaver. smoot,
.sperow, STROLLER, symms, Terrill,
vickers, Walton. Wells, Whitman, anL.
Williams go.
Absent and not votiug-courtney,.
Davis, Edwards, Epling. Hudnall.
LETTERS, Kennedy. Nuttall and Pendle.
tons.
For the second time in the special
session the House Of Delegates made
direct and frank statement that IT
was against a primary law for the
nomination OF candidates for public
office.
On the same morning the Gilkeson
resolution came before the house for
adoption or rejection. For several
hours it was discussed, and the most
bitter criticism of the Gilkeson scheme
to defeat a primary law, came from
Democratic Delegates who were not
controlled by Watson and Chiffon and
who were possessed of courage in
abundance to fight the resolution.
Judge C. W. Campbell, Democrat,
of cabell county, whose advocacy Of
direct primaries cannot be questioned,
exposed the fallacy of the resolution
and admonlshed the Democratic mem
bers that they could AFFORD to do right
and trust the consequences. The
speech of Judge Campbell, is the ex-
preston Of an honest advocate Of d.
rect primaries on the Gllkeson reso-
luton. Judge Campbell said:
Speech of Hon. C. W. Campbell.
Il oppose the adoption of this res
olution. In view Of the State Demo-
cratic platform of 1908, 1 regard this
resolution as party perfidy-a subter-
fuge, scuttling of the Democratic
ship-a thing worse than cowardice.
Its adoption cannot be justified on any
good or Just grounds. 1t is dictated
by blind partisanshlp-it was inspir-
ed by an appeal to party prejudice. 1t
eonfesses ignorance and incompetent
cy on the part of the Democrats OF this
House to draft an act for primary
1t attempts to cast doubt and uncer.
tainty about the propriety of any pri-
mary election law. notwithstanding
the fact that about one-half of the
states have laws that are Statewide
in their operation, mandatory in
character and fairly complete in their
provisions. l refer to the States OF
Arizona, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas,
Louisiana, Maryland. Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota. Missouri, Missis-
sippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, North
Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, oregon,
Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas,
Washington and Wisconsin In Colo
RADIO, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland,
New York and Rhode Island, there has
been Legislation on the subject but
local in application but nevertheless
mandatory in character.
"The Cooper bill, so-called, passed
the House last winter by vote of n
to 8. The same bill had before that
time passed the House Of Delegates
twice at separate sessions of the West
Virginia Legislature. Have we lost
our cunning since the regular session?
The general subject of nominating all
candidates for public office by direct
primary election has been before the
public for discussion for many years
last past, and there is, therefore, no
excuse for the many learned lawyers
of this body or for the experienced
lay members 10 cast of the duty that
rests on them to draft an act and to
pass il for enactment.
1T is no excuse to say that the
Governor has called us here in hot
instead Of cold weather to legislate
on this subject. We have already been
here long enough in the heat of the
weather tand in the heat of d6dging)
to have passed primary election law.
1t is not for those who believe that
party platforms are pledges of good
faith rather than badges of fraud and
deceit, now that we have golden OPP
portunity to pass a general Statewide
primary election law, to
say that the extraordinary occasion
did not exist, justifying the Governors
call. He alone is the Judge of the
occasion and must bear the response