The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-13

The Senate Committee Oh Privileges
and Elections. having heard arguments
on the Decentralization primary cleo
tons BILL went into executive ses-
sion and postponed furth.r considera-
tioa OF II for another week The bill
passed the House By a large majority
on January &c. and Their, seems To be
no reason why II should not have Deen
considered b. the Senat. COMMITTEES
before the lapse of seventeen drys. 70
fail TO report upon II with n q period
of more than three wee6s from the
;tmo OF It's passage by Tile House,
would indicate to any frieni of tho
measure a deliberate purpose to pre-
vent the dill from gettins on tie cal
cndar until io1 late 10 be Drought 10
a vote at this session.
Tho bill is not :ong one. and has
been In the file 81 vvsrJ mctubor of ne
Senate UncludihJ the members O.
cominittee} Tor abol: month. it has
been discussed in the newspapers, and
all of It's provis'oas are pretty wei:
understood by practically every rhem-
bcr OF the Legislature.
At the hearing there secmed TO ne
Il difference of opinion only as to two
or three provisions, which urt by no
means funda an; H. They Involve
questions which 40 committee is go
ing 10 settle E1FDS, DHt UiusI f|
| fought out on td- noOr of the Senate.
Heretofore. no .;eni:e committee has
given evidence Of any cffcrt tn te-
wise g primary Jaw Of itB own. but al
ways aas contented itself with de-
laying the measures In committee un-
til they could not reach g vote in the
Senate.
II seems something moro taan e.
coincidence that for at least six ses-
sions the determined opponents Of any
primary legislation have predominated
~ the Committee on Privileges and
k!ectouse OF course. there have al
ways been two or three mcmuers who
have desired somc lesalization OF the
primary. but they have been helpless
The people of the State. too, have do
sired It. but they have been equally
heiple5. Apparently. the only hope for
primary legislation at this session is
for the Senate to discharge the com
mittee from the Consideration OF the
bill.
In the session OF 1904. tho primary
bill was retained In committee about
three weeks an drepeatedly q quorum
OF the committee deliberately abscnted
themselves from the meetings. II was
finally reported with only one member
In Its favor, but II passed tne Senate
By large majority.
In 1906 q primary bill was the first
one introduced in the Senate. but
QUORUM OF the committee repeatedly
and deliberately absentcd themselves
from meetings OF the COMMITTEES, and
when the bill was finally reported Gun
. farora6lyl It was SO far down on the
calendar that 1t could not be reached
In the session Of 1905 Tho procedure
wEs exactly similar in ali RESPECTS. II
the program for this session Is not a
mere repetition of what has been de-
scribed. the committee is dong itself
I an injustice.
Thc hearing last night waa iliumi-
mated by an address made to the COM
mittee by Lieutenant-G Ely
son, who spoke also as the Democratic
State chairman. He was we'll within
the truth whom he asserted that a
legAlizcd primary bill would be ex-
tremely gratifying to an overwhelming
majority OF the people OF the State
While advocating somewhL: moro
drastic limitations upon the exPendi-
lures by candidates. he declared tina,
he was go much In favor OF primary
law tina. ne would accept one contain
ing many details of which he did not
approve rather than see this Legisla-
tura adjourn without passing one of
any kind.
The other speakers, who made sug
gestions az to what the bill should
contain, dwelt mainly upon non-es-
sentials. such as the manner OF APP
pointing the Judges and the desirable
ity OF having watchers in the polling
places. The fact Is. that no method OF
appointing Judges IS going to give
absolute satisfaction. rhe plan OF
- Law ri