The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-07-08
JUDGE NORCROSS
MAKES ANSWER
REPLIES To SAM PLATT'S LET
TER ON SENATORIAL
PRIMARIES

the reply of A. II. Howe to the re-
cent letter of Sam Plat in which
the latter suggested a special rule to
govern the senatorial contest in the
approaching primaries, together with
the text of Mr.. Platt's letter and tAe
adverse ruling of the district attor-
ney of White Pine county. The re-
ply of Frank H. Norcross, to whom
the Plat letter was also addressed.
was received this morning and is as
follows:
Carson City, Nevada,
July A., 1916.
Hon. Sam Plat,
Reno, Nevada.
My Dear Mr.. Platt:
Your letter of June 29th, adj
dressed to A. H. Howe, ESQ. and
myself, as candidates for the repub-
lican nomination for United States
senator. received. l take this first
opportunity to reply.
You make the following main
proposition:
That a separate ballot be
handed the voter at the republic
can state primary election con-
tanning each of our names, So
that the voter may designate
thereon a choice for United States
senator and that the delegates to
the state convention vote for the
candidate receiving the highest
vote at the polls.
Permit me to say that if any
practical means which will protect
the rights of all concerned, can be
devised whereby such plan can be
carried out, | will most heartily APP
prove of the same.
| sur that you have considered
tina your proposal not only involves
the approval of the several candi-
dates and delegates who may be
elected, but to be successfully ac-
complished must require the CO.
operation of a thousand or more
election officers and public officials
in no way legally obligated to OBJ
serve the conditions of the proposal,
and that you are prepared to present
a feasible scheme to carry your pro-
posal into execution.
THE statement in your letter that
The rank and file of our party are
entitled directly to choose their
nominee for United States senator
not only expresses a political prin-
ciple with which l have long been
in hearty accord, but to establish
and maintain which have taken
some active interest.
Il regard it as regretable that
the views you have recently express
ed were not made public during the
session of the last legislature and
that those who we're opposing the
passage and approval of the present
law, which abolished the direct pri-
mary, could lot have had your act
i've cooperation. I have heretofore
assumed that o favored the pass
age of the present law. Such as
sumption is based in part upon in
formation, which I deem reliable,
to the effect that your partner, Mr..
Sanford, urged the legislature to
pass and the governor to approve
the act now in force. If | am wrong
in my assumption, | will be glad to
be corrected and would have
you state what, if anything, you did
in the way of opposing the passage
or approval of Substitute for AS
sembly Bill No. 5, which is the pres
ent law.
That my attitude toward the
present law may be known, permit
me to state that l prepared the pro-
posed amendment to the bill intro
duced by Senator Harrington and
which is published in full on pages
1926 and 326 of the Journal of the
Senate, and which, had it been
adopted, would have permitted an
expression of choice by the voters
for United States senator as we'll as
other of the more important Offices
i'll which the public is most vitally
interested, and would have permit
ted nominations to have been made
by such a
After the bill had passed and
was in the hands of the governor,
| prepared and presented to the gov
ernor a written statement to he
considered in connection with the
bill, which statement referred TO
facts which l deemed justified it's
veto. A copy of such statement |
would be pleased to submit to any,
n desiring to see the same.
81 am reliably informed that Sen
ators Newlands and Pittman, Justice
McCarran and others urged the GOV
ernor to veto the bill. l now know
of nc one. other than your law part-
ner, though doubtless there may
have been many others, who urged
the governor to approve the bill,
PASSED by the legislature in its last
hours under a misrepresentation. as I
holinUn