The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-27
LEGISLATIVE, COMMENT
By LEWIS H. MACHEN
PRIMARY ELECTIONS II.

The passage by the House of Dole.
primary bill puts 1t squarely UP to thu
Senate to determine whethor Their,
shall be primary legislation at this
session.
Tho vote OF 50 TO 30 IN Ito favo,
fairly indicates the popular demand
for this measure. When the Rspub.
iicans who voted almost solidly
against I'll are eliminated, there IL
shown an overwhelming Democratic
sentiment in its favor. When n furth.
er reduction of the opposition vote IL
made by reason of some members
favorable to tho primary principle,
! who voted against the bill because
| they did not subscribe to certain pro-
visions which are compa ratirely UNI
| important, II Will be seen the pre-
ponderance of Democratic opinion in
tho lower house is really tremendous.
Thie is the second primary bill to
| pass the House Of Delegates by do
! cisive Democratic majority. In 1904 a
| bin which had passed the Senate by q
good Democratic majority came over
TO the House, waa amended by the
| House Committee on Privileges and
Elections In some trlfiing details, and
passed the House by enormous
Democratic majority. The then
Speaker Of tho House. Honorable
John f. Ryan, who had seen long and
| distinguished service in that position,
came down from the chair and mad e
IL speech in its favor. Moreover. tho
Republicans in both houses voted for
the bill at that time there was an
| insurgent spirit In the Republican
membership of the Legislature
Shortly before that bill came to a vote
they had attended State convention
at which the Republican ring OF the
State had applied the steam roller to
Thorn in fine old-fashioned style. They
were naturally and most thoroughly
sore. and were willing to put law
upon the statute books which they
might pc able to il.Toke at some time
against the tyranny of their party
boasses. Whether the present Repub-
lican membership has forgotten the
bitter lesson which they learned in
1904, or whether they have become re-
concled TO the domination Of their
ring leaders cannot be definitely
stated
The Senate in 1904 defeated this bill
by failing to vote on the amendments
which the House had adopted Until
yesterday no other primary bill had
come to a vote in either branch of the
General Assembly sine! that time
Hostile influences generally eEerted
silently and secretly, have been able
10 thwart the wishes of the great body
OF the Democratic voters of the State
and even a majority of the Democratic
membership of the Legislature.
The trouble all along has been that
those who opposed any kind of legal
lied primary bill have been united,
while those who desired some kind OF
legaliaed primary bill have been
Il fxrfl =,
upon immaterial features. For cx-
ample, one member of the Senate help
ed TO talk the primary bill of 1904 10
death. because II permitted a friend
chosen by a voter to assist him in
preparing his ballot, yet this very
evil has prevailed widely-it not uni
rersally-under the party primary
plan, along with many other evils
which the bill would havc prevented.
One very prominent member OF the
Senate. who had voted for the bill
IT when IL came back from the House
because the clause in the Senate bill
closing the saloons on the days when
the primary elections were being held
had been stricken out by the House;
yet on every primary election day
since that time the saloons have been
as wido open on primary election days
IS II the Dill mad become Law and,
In addition TO that. many other evils,
which the bill would have prevented.
have continued. Thus II is. that u
worthy measure may meet It's death
at the hands of cts ovcr2ealous
friends.
Both in and out OF every Legislative
body there arc to be found politicians
who oppose any measure looking to