The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-10-24


another provision IN the French
bin made It 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 bin, but were not allowed
to insert a 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 amdayit OF three
treeholders in his precinct that he was
legal resident and qualified voter.
In several counties in West Vlr-
ginia the lands are controlled By
large corporations and it would be
impossible to ind three freeho1deFs
in the precinct. The provision dis
francbised 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 consideFa-
ton, several amendments were offer
ed which would have made it &C
ceptabIe to the whole Legislature,
but each amendment which did not
come from one OF the delegates un-
der the control OF Watson and Chill
ton, was rejected.
Delegate w. T. Ice, Jr., OF Bar
bour county, recognized the intus-
tice of the referendum clause, real
izing that it was an erort to stay
primary legislation until after the
next general eIction. If those who
were in favor of the French bill,
we're 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 di-
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 ana shan
continue in full force and effect un-
til the same is rejected by a major
ity of the voters OF the state at an
election tn be held thereon at the
general election to be held on the
9Th day Of November. 1912; and this
act shall only continue in ehect
after the result OF said general cleo
ton has been ascertained in the
event that a majority OF all the votes
cast at said elction 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 ravor 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 c. w. Watson to have been
a candidate for denomination before
a general primary Of the voters
within his party. Consequently the
amendment was rejected. Here Is
the vote on the adopuon OF the
amendment:
For Ice observation-disclosures
Brannon, Burlington, CampoeiI'
earle. Cobun. Epling, FELTON,, Cody
koontz, Henry Nelson c. Hubbard
Huey. Ice of Barbour, Law, LilleF'
Marsh. Meredith, Miller, Moore
Nuttan, Ours. Padden, Porter ROD
inson, Shock. Skaggs, Steele van
Meter and Wildman-31.
Against Ice ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Cspeaker), Anderson, BeIcher, Carr
Carroll. CHnord, Currie, Dice, Ed
wards. Gilkeson, Hager, Hall, Hays
Harry Hubbard, Hudnall. Ice OF
Marion, Jeners, Kane, Keister, Kidd
Lacy. Marcum, Morris, PembertOn'
Pence, Pendleton, Pugh, Saunders
seibert shaver, smoot. speTOw'
symns, Terril. Throckmorton, VIC
kers. Whitman and wiIliams-45-
Absent and not voting-Courtney'
Davis, Goode. johnson. Jolly. Ken
nedy, st-other, Wells and WysOnG
10.
Then Mr.. Ice reasoned that If the
watson-Chilton Democrats who had
y-,=.Iat;or, Unt IL