Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-10
SEES DANGER IN BILL
Johnson to Attack District Pri-
mary Measure.
AN AID TO WARD HELLER
Balloting Placed Under His Control.
It Is Declared.
MUST REVERSE HIS STAND
Committee Chairman Discovers Al
legged Bad Feature, After Giving
Hasty Endorsement.
MUST REVERSE HIS STAND

If the House of Representatives allows
the District of Columbia to have a few
hours Of its legislative time tomorrow
afternoon according to promise, Repre-
sentative johnson of Kentucky, chairman
Of the House District committee. is going
to object strenuously TO certain features
Of the Norris hill for a primary law in
Washington. on the ground that il is 'the
most forcible force bill ever attempted to
be forced on any community
The bill provides for a primary election
the fourth Tuesday in May. II 1t 10
passed before that time II is commonly
understood that the Bradshaw-Chase
ticket. elected at the primaries held a few
weeks ago. will have to be elected over
again.
Objectionable Feature.
Chairman johnson is in the position OF
having acauiesced to favorable report
on the bill and then finding a section
winch In his opinion makes the measure
an outrage upon American liberty. The
section which he claims will put a pri-
mary election entirely in the hands OF
ward heelers' is numoer 81. 1t reads:
FOR the purpose of holding elections
ana preserving order at the polls the
JUDGES ieiections are hereby appointed
ana invested, during the time of holding
eiectons, with the jurisdiction and au-
tnor1ty, and they, or a majority of them
are hereby authorized to impose and en-
lSrSe a nne not exceeding $50 for each
oHenSe on any person or persons who
snail conduct themselves in a riotous
manner at the polls. and shall persist i'm
sucn conduct after having been warned
OF the consequences, or who shall refuse
10 move from the polls fifty feet when
directed, or on any person who shall be
detected In the commission i'm the i'm
meoiate presence of the judges, of any
oHenses DEFINED by this act: and on the
REFUSAL neglect to forthwith paw the
same to the chairman. to commit him or
| them to the Jail of the District for any
,nme s, not exceeding TWENTY-FIVE days, or
until the fine is paid; and the police of
the District Of Columbia are hereby re-
| quired to forthwith execute sad order
as though 1t had been issued by a magis-
| trate In due form OF law. II no police
man De present the judges may appoint
a special officer or officers to execute
| their orders"
Views Of johnson.
This" said Representative Johnson.
is the worst thing OF the kind I ever
saw. Take the section line by line and
see what it would do. In the first place,
1t Is commonly known that the kind OF
men selected to stand watch. to be clerks
and judges at primaries, are quite likely
to be OF the ward heeler class. Assum-
Ing that to be the case, who wants a
| ward heeler to fine him fifty dollars? BY
| what right does a man of that sort pass
snap judgment on any man who comes
to the polls? 1t simply puts the control
OF the election at each ballot box in the
hands of these ward heelers raised TO an
exalted position for the day.
This section allows one of these judges
to convict any citizen without indict-
ment, warrant or Testimony. There is no
appeal to higher court. II you are ar
rested and have not $50. perhaps you go
to Jail and rot there forever, unless you
can find $40. I repeat that the election
officers will be able to control the entire
situation, and 1 shall oppose this on the
moor of the House tomorrow, which is
District day."
How Approval Was Given.
This Norris bill for the establishment OF
a primary law in the District was one of
the fifteen bills reported favorably at the
recent record-breaking meeting OF the
House committee on the District of Co
lumbia when the members acted on more
bills than any committee in Congress has
acted upon In one day for many a month
1t was taken up at the last moment, al
most on the stroke of noon, when the
House was about to convene Several
members called Chairman Johnson's at
tention to the bill, and recommended that
it be favorably reported.
But haven't read the bill carefully"
he said
The chairman was told the bill was all
right. that several people had read it and
approved 1t, and as the members of the
committee were all in a hurry to get over
to the Capitol. where measures of gen.
eral importance were about to be dis
cussed, Chairman Johnson gave his APP
prevail.
But when I started to read the bill
carefully" said Representative Johnson
today. II found that / could not support
this paragraph, and will make that OBJ
lection on the floor Of the House"
The bill in question was reported to the
House yesterday with an amendment
which places the election date on the
fourth Tuesday in May.