New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-27
Altered Scheme Abo|ishes Con.
ventions and Provides Pref
erence Vote for Senators.
TO PRESENT BILL TONIGHT
Party Committees Barred from
Designating Candidates and
Massachusetts Form of
Ballot Is Favored.
lBy Telegraph to The Tribune.

/ Albany Jan. 26.-EX-Senator Frederick
VI. Davenport, chairman OF the legisla-
| tive committee OF the Progressives. an
nounced tonight that Progressive legis-
| lators would introduce tomorrow night
a complete direct primary bill. 1t will be
practically the HinmanGreen bill, which
| Governor Hughes sought to have enacted
| into law. All conventions would be abol-
ished, thus establishing direct primaries
for Governor and state officers as well as
! for minor and local officers.
This new bill will have Al provision for
| Indicating preference for United States
Senators. Governor Hughes favored the
direct election of United States Senators,
| nut no legislation was advocated by him
! for preference votes i'm the primaries.
| This measure will also provide for non
| partisan primary 10 select candidates for
! judicial offices.
The Progressives' bill will differ from
the Hughes measure in that it will not per
NIT party committees TO designate candi-
| dates for nomination in the primaries eX-
| cept In the case of the state committee.
which may ma k1 designations of party
candidates for nomination on the state
ticket But it is provided that . per
cent minority Of the state committee may
| make designation also. or course, petit
ton designations are provided for.
The ballot is to be the Massachusetts, or
office group form; no party emblem
may he used. and 10 faction may be per-
mittcd To use party funds in primary
campaign The primary unit OF represen-
tation is so fixed that the ballot will not
be prepOstcrou>ly long, as under the pres
ont law
Discussing the need for genuine direct
primary law, ex-senator Davenport said
The Ferris Blauvelt act. now upon the
statute books, Is looked upon with abhOr-
renee 10y the whole state as an attempt
to diScrcdit tn. method of direct nomind-
! tons and 10 riyct the letters OF Loss con
ttol The law brdI.nly lcgdllzcs boSslsm
and intrcnchcs 4 against popular uprising
by detcrrrcs Of clover ingenuity ana com
plcNity. II makes party committees Vlrt-
ually -perpctuatinS. The lnachlne
candidates may appropriate the official
party emblem FOR their own advantage,
thus DENYING on primary day the eqilaIltN
Of a fair chance to all members OF the
party.
The present act leaves state officers TO
be chosen by the OutWorn convention SNs-
TEN. After the machine designations are
announced dissatisfied voters are given
only five days 10 get up petitions drSlS-
hating other candidates. IL provides not q
short and simple list Of party officers. but
a list 50 extended az To result in a ballot
I'm some cases fourteen feet in length, 30
huge as to be- utterly unrcadablc. In
every refined detail this law Is cminently
fitted Ia disfranchisc the average freeman
I'm favor of the machine boss. with his
following Of political serfs.
Governor Sulzor has come out for the
nomination Of Governor and other candi-
dates for state Office directly at the pri-
marics So far rs can be learned now,
il il the intention of the Democratic leg
islatIvo leaders merely To cure the more
obvious defects in the Ferris BlauVelt
law. without extending it's scope or chang
ing IL IN its principle.