The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-22
CITIZENS OF N. Y. TO FIGHT TO SAVE
 DIRECT PRIMARIES
Union Counts on Support of Legislators from New
 York City,

New York, Nov. 22.-Aroused by reports that the legislature might set to work to repeal the Direct Primary law, the Citizens Union has announc- ed that it would do its best to pre- vent any such move. The Citizens Union counts on the support of most Of the legislators from this city, who are all on record in favor of the prln- ciple of direct nominations.
 Politicians pointed out. to-day that the law was likely to have a still more powerful champion-GoV Whit man. The Governor is primary made'' man, and it will take good deal of persuading to make him go back on the agency which did so much to advance him in public lie. If it had not been for the primary, he might never have been nominated in 1914, and even if he had, it would be an even bet that he would not have been renominated this year.
 Some radical tinkering with the election law is one of the features Of next January's program which legls- lative leaders have already agreed up- on. But the best informed of them said to-day that this was likely to be
  nation by party committees, rather than for a repeal of the law in its underlying principles. There is, how ever, a strong group of Republicans who would like to see a complete re- turn to the convention system.
 Citizens Union Statement.
 The statement of the Citizens Union issued by it's legislative secretary, R. B. McGahen, is as follows:
 "Rumors that an effort may be made at the coming session of the legislature to repeal the Direct Pri- mary law have aroused the friends of the direct primary to action. The Citizens Union will recommend 1egis- lation at the opening of the session aimed to correct defects which that organization has recognized in the law in force since 1913. It is plan ned to defeat at it's inception any movement to destroy the direct pri- mary system in this state. That the present law is unsatisfactory in cer- tain respects is recognized and the legislators will be asked to cooperate in making it what it should be.
 eff any effort is made at Albany next winter to abolish the direct pri- mary, 1t is safe to predict that it will not emanate from New York city leg islators. A large proportion of them gave the Citizens Union their views on the subject during the recent cam paign. Not one expressed himself in favor of a return to the old discredit- ed convention system. Several ex- pressed dissatisfaction with phases of the existing law, and many approved the suggestions offered by the Union for the improvement of it. Among the latter were the most able and in fuentia1 of the New York members of both parties.
 Voters Want It.
 '"That the great mass of voters like the direct primary idea and want to see it preserved and improved is not open to dispute. It was very effec- lively used in New York city in sev- eral instances during the recent cam paign. Possibly the most striking was the contest for the Democratic nomi- nation for District Attorney in Kings county. The popularity of the direct nomination will increase in this state as it is made more workable.
 ''It should be remembered that when the present law was passed
 
 the legislation advocated by Governor Hughes in 1908 and 1909, and em- bodied in the Hinman- Greene bill of that period, was entirely eliminated. This was the provision permitting en- rolled voters to select party commit tees, each year, these committees to designate the organization candidates for the ensuing primaries. The com- mittee designations were to be filed a sufficient time in advance to afford ample opportunity for the circulation of petitions for other designations. The entire field of enrolled voters was to be left free for the circulation of independent petitions. Responsibil- 1ty would have been fixed directly and openly upon the party leaders for the1r choices, which is not the case under the present system.
 It IS true that party committee designations were provided for in the 1911 Direct Primary law, since chang ed But under that law the party committees were rendered practical ly self-perpetuating, the political ma chlnes were given a special advantage on the ballot, and the filing of inde- pendent petitions was made extreme ly difficult.
 < This was the law that gave New 1rok city primary ballots A feet long In some of it's districts. That law was replaced by the 1913 law, which, in- stead of correcting these vital defects, abolished committee designations en- tlrely. It was claimed at the time by many that this was done with the ex pectation that the 1913 law, because or It's weakness, would destroy public sentiment for the direct primary. h. stead or doing so, however, New York's experience has demonstrated the possibilities of an adequate but