The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-07
PRIMARIES UNDER
LAWS OF STATES
Committee OF Common Counsel
Club" Appointed to
Frame Bill.
FOSTER POLICIES OF vii SON
Management in Custody of Men
Who Received Favors From
President.
FOSTER POLICIES OF vii SON
Especial to The Tlmes-Dispatch. ]


Washington. January 6.-The aotivi-
ties OF personal friends OF President
Wilson. Democratic ofliceholdcrs, at n
meeting to-day. Indicate that 1t is the
purpose OF the administration to push
me wilson plan FOR presidential pre-
Ter .G,e primary law Ar A. session Of
Tee was appointed TO frame 81 bill with
THIS end In view. and submit it to the
Governors OF the various States and
lalcr before Congress.
This Common Counsel Club" was or
ganiZed month ago by prominent
Democratic officials. It's purpose being.
Missouri, now Solicitor of the State
department, to study public questions
for the general betterment of the peo-
PIE. Democrats only were admitted to
the organization. and its management
Is in the sole custody OF men who have
received politicai favors at the hands
TO be organized throughout the coun-
try, all TO be subsidiary TO the parent
club an, Il IN Washington. II has been nc;
Wilson organization, intended to foster
the personal policies OF the President
and undertake the work OF inSuring
his denomination in 1916
The Common Counsel Club" held it's
second formal session o-day, presided
appointed, consisting of o Mr Folk wa" as
chairman, and Senator owen, Assist
ant Attorney General Graham and AS
sistant Secretary OF War Breckinridge,
to formulate q primary bin and sub
init ii to the club.
Approval of the plan was given in
advance to-day. This bill. Mr. Folk
be presented to all the States. at the
next meeting of the House of Gov
ernors which probably will be held In
Washington. for approval The ulti-
mate object of the club il to have
Congress pass law authorizing the
presidential primaries tn be held un-
der the primary laws OF the different
States.
In addition to Mr. Folk. speeches
advocating this innovation were made
by Secretary of Labor Wilson, AS
sistant Attorney-General Graham and
Louis Brandeis, Of Boston.
State Plan indOrsed.
Treasurer Burke, Secretary Redheld
ury Hamilin also Endorsed the State
primary plan as one that could be
made effective without constitutional
amendment.
for. presidential preference primaries
had been In a large measure based
upon the theory that the presidential
tho rights OF the States to regulate and
conduct their own elections" said Mr..
FOLK I'm addressing the club There are
always Questions OF detail In realizing
upon any plan OF progress. and there
naturally Is some difference of opinions
between those who would have ma
ton wide primary, the nomination TO
be made by majority on plurality In
the nation, and those who advocate tho
State plan.
For my own part. think the latter
decidedly preferable. and believe it
would operate more satisfactorily.
There would be little difficulty in work.
Ing out system. and an amendment to
the Constitution 1t seems would not
be required to carry this plan into ef-
feet.
Congress might by law. authorize
presidential preference primaries to be
held under the laws OF the different
States, MS State primaries are now held.
Accordingly. the candidate for Presi-
dent who received a plurality OF the
votes or his party in Il State would
have the vote OF that State which
should be calculated upon the basis OF
representation of that particular state
i'll Congress. All that Congress would
have to do would be 10 make the pro-
Vision after the canvassing of the vote
by State authority for forwarding the
vote OF each State to some central off,
cial or board. established by act of
Congress, with power to tnbulate the
returns from the different States, pro-
claim the result and announce tho NOM
inec
This, while In no way interfering
with the rights of the States. would
their own nominees by direct vote
without the, Intervention OF political