The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-07-06
JUDGE NORCROSS
ACCEPTS CHALLENGE
Carson City, New, July 4, 1916.
Geo, DInft DC,o Nfo,4

Carson City, New. July 4. 1916.
Hon. Sam Platt, Reno, New.
My Dear Mr.. Platt Your letter of
June 29th, addressed to A. II. Howe,
Esq, and myself, as candidates for
the Republican nomination for United
States Senator, received. I take this
first opportunity to reply.
You make the following main prop
osition:
That a separate ballot be handed
the voter at the Republican State pri-
mary election containing each of our
names. so that the voter may desig-
nate 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 practi-
cal means, which will protect the
rights of all concerned, can be de-
Vised whereby such plan can be car
ried out, | will most heartily approve
of the same.
assume that you have considered
that 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 observe
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 NOM
inee for United States Senator" not
only expresses a political principle
with which l have long been in hearty
accord, but to establish and maintain
which l have taken some active
interest.
I regard it as regrettable that the
views you have recently expressed
were not made public during the ses-
sion of the last legislature and that
those who were opposing the passage
and approval of the present law.
which abolished the direct primary.
could not have had your active CO.
operation / have heretofore assumed
that you favored the passage of the
present law Such assumption is
based in part upon information, which
| 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
be pleased to have you state what, if
anything. you did in the way of op-
posing the passage or approval OF
Substitute for Assembly Bill No. 5,
which is the present law.
That my attitude towards the pres
ent law may be known, permit me to
state that l prepared the proposed
amendment to the bill introduced by
Senator Harrington and which is
published in full on pages 325 and
| 326 of the Journal of the Senate, and
which, had it been adopted, would
| have permitted an expression OF
choice by the voters Ior United States
Senator as we'll as other of the more
important offices in which the public
| is most vitally interested, and would
| have permitted nominations to have
been made by such means.
After the bill had been passed and
was in the hands of the Governor,
prepared and presented to the Gov
ernor a written statement to be
considered in connection with the
bill, which statement referred to
facts which | deemed justified its
veto. A copy of such statement
would be pleased to submit to any one
desiring to see the same.
| am reliably informed that Sena-
tors Newlands and Pittman Justice
| McCarran and others urged the Gov
ernor to veto the bill | now know OF
no one, other than your law partner
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 misapprehension, as | believe
| While | have grave doubt whether
any feasible means can be devised
whereby your proposed plan can be
carried out, am willing to cooperate
in every way possible, and to this end
would be pleased to appoint repre-
sentatives to cooperate with other
representatives to be appointed by
yourself and Mr.. Howe or any pros
pective candidate, if any such there