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


bill made 1T impossible for the Re
publican members to accept the
measure without amendment, and
unlike the Democrats OF the Senate
the Republicans tried to amend the
French bill, but were not allowed
to insert single amendment. The
other objection, besides the refer
endum clause, was the provision
which required every unregistered
voter before he could be allowed TO
vote to secure the affidavit of three
freeholders in his precinct that he was
"a legal resident and qualified voter.
In several counties in West Vir-
ginia the lands are controlled by
large corporations and it would be
impossible to find three freeholders
in the precinct. The provision dis
franchised several thousand voters
and refused them participation in
the primaries of their own party.
Democrats Defeat Amendments.
When the bill came before the
House of Delegates for considera-
ton, several amendments were Offer
ed which would have made it &C
ceptable to the whole Legislature,
but each amendment which did not
come from one of the delegates I'M
der the control of Watson and Chill
ton, was rejected.
Delegate w. T. Ice, Jr, of Bar
bour county, recognized the injus-
tice of the referendum clause, real
izing that 1t was an effort to stay
primary legislation until after the
next general ELECTION. If those who
were in favor OF the French bill,
were sincere in their efforts to have
the people vote on the question OF
direct primaries, Delegate Ice point
ed the way with an amendment
which would have permitted such a
vote and yet the law would have be-
come operative in sufficient time to
allow the two major political par
ties to select their candidates by d.
rect primary for the election OF
1912.
On May 9th, while the French
bill was pending, Mr.. Ice offered the
following amendment.
This act shall become effective
90 days after its passage and shall
continue in full force and effect un-
til the same is rejected by major
ity OF the voters OF the state at an
election to be held thereon at the
general election to be held on the
5th day of November, 1912; and this
act shall only continue in effect
after the result of said general cleo
ton has been ascertained in the
event that a majority Of all the votes
cast at said ELECTION be cast in favor
of the adoption and continuance OF
this act; and, in the event major
ity of all the votes cast at said gen.
eral election shall be in favor of the
rejection and discontInuance of this
act, then the same shall be thereby
repealed, and of no further force
and effect"
This amendment, If adopted, would
have allowed the people to say
whether or not they wanted direct
primaries and would, also, have COM
PEELED G. w. Watson to have been
candidate for denomination before
general primary of the voters
within his party. Consequently the
amendment was rejected. Here is
the vote on the adoption of the
amendment:
For Ice MISUNDERSTANDING
Brannon, Burlington, Campbell
earle, cobun, Epling, FELTON,, Goody-
koontz, Henry Nelson G. Hubbard,
Huey, Ice of Barbour, Law, Liller'
MaTSu, MeTeulluI MllISAt hSSASp
Nuttan, Ours, Padden, Porter, Rob
inson, Shock, skaggs, Steele, Van
Meter and Wildman-31.
Against Ice ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
(speaker), Anderson, Belcher, Carr
Carroll, Clifford, currie, Dice, Ed
wards, Gllkeson, Hager, Hall, Hays
Harry Hubbard, Hudnall, Ice OF
Marion, Jeffers, Kane. Keister, Kidd,
Lacy, Marcum, Morris, Pemberton,
Pence, Pendleton, Pugh, Saunders.
seibert, Shaver. smoot, sperow,
symns, Terrin, Throckmorton, Vic
Kers, whitman and williams-45.
Absent and not voting-courtney,
Davis, Goode, johnson, jolly, Ken
nedy. strother, Wells and Wysong
10.
Then Mr.. Ice reasoned that il the
Watson Chiffon Democrats who had
opposed all primary legislation until
they presented the French bill, were
a