Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-03-31
ELECTION BILLS
GIVEN AN AIRING
Independents and Senator Nc
Nichol Have Some Interesting
Interchanges on Them

The Senate elections committee
heard last night representatives of the
Committee of Seventy of Philadelphia
state their views in opposition to sew
eral of the bills introduced in the Sen
ate by Senator McNichol. The prin-
cipal objection of the independents
was to the bills which abolish nomi
nations by nomination papers after
primary elections, prevent withdrawal
of candidates after primaries, proVid-
ing for the organization of independ-
ent parties before primaries and in
creasing the percentage of vote cast
by which parties can get on the ballot,
all of which combine. the independ
ents declare. to prevent fusion against
the old parties.
Thomas Raeburn White. for the Com
mittee of Seventy, said the bills place
very heavy burden upon Independent
voters and virtually makes it impos-
sible for independents to form parties.
Senator McNichol wanted 70 know
why eight or ten men should have the
| right to set up a new party after the,
voters at the primary had decided who
| they wanted as candidates.
Mr.. White replied that independents
should have the right to organize
where they are dissatisfied with candi-
dates named by any party at pri-
mary.
IF primary elections at which all
vote are nullified by disgruntled poll
ticians setting up new candidates
against the expressed will of the
people who voted at primaries, then
let us go back to the old convention
system" declared Mr.. McNichol
Mr.. White insisted that in municipal
affairs the spirit of nonpartisanShip
should not be destroyed and he de-
ciared the bills under consideration
! did destroy that spirit.
Senator McNichol suggested that if
the independents feared the Repub-
| licans We're going to put up unsatis-
| factory candidates they should organ
iZe an Independent party tonight and
! probably they could get the Repub-
lican party to agree to candidates.
! This caused smile among the inde-
pendents.
DR.. George Woodward, George
Burnham, Vivian Gable and Walter
Wood supported Mr.. White in his ar
sument. Mr.. Wood said that it would
be for the good of the Republican
party to have some means for inde-
pendents to organize against them
The Republican party, he said, appre-
hensive of having strong opposition
| on the part of the Independents, would
name candidates that would be accept
able to the Independents and would
bring many of them over to support
ing the Republican candidates.
Senator McNichol informed the
| Committee of Seventy that the bill
which provides that where a voter
| registers and continues to reside in an
, election district he shall not be re-
quired to answer all questions when he
registers will not be passed by the
Legislature. The committee stated it
was gratifed to hear it.
1t was also agreed that the Com
mittee of Seventy should submit
amendments to the bill which requires
the payment of witness fees when a
person is subpenaed to appear before
the board of registration. The Com
mittee of Seventy thought the fees
charged for subpenas was too high
and the amendments to be submitted
are intended to scale down the costs.
The hearing lasted less than an
hour.