Arizona republican., 1916-01-06
LEGISLATURE IF CALIFORNIA
 MEETS IN SPECIAL SESSION
Republican A. p. Leased wireI

SACRAMENTO. Cal. Jau 5-The legislature today opened the special
 session called by Governor Johnson with the most unexciting of sessions in both the senate and the assembly. in the lower house Speaker C. C.
 Young and the other officers of that body Were reelected through a for ma motion. the usual formaHties gone rhroeh and the governors mes-
 sage read.
 Three bills were then introduced two by Speaker Young to carry out the ideas laid down in the sovernor's message. and another bv Assembly men Bartlett and Lyon. seeking to amend the 1913 primary act in such a manner as to repeal the l9l5 non partisan registration law and throw the whole election law into the status that existed before thc last session of the legislature.
 That another attack may he made upon The uon-partiSan registration system is indicated by ASsemblymau II W. Brown nf Colma- He asserts that under a decision handed down in a similar ease in Colorado. the gov crn0r's call lays open the whole eIec- tIou legislation '" amendment by the IeeisIatur
 The senate afternoon session was purely formal Newton Thompson was chosen president pro-tenl. and the governors message read. The upper house met again tonight for 3 short session
 h its session tonight bills covering all three subjects included in fhe EoEornor's call We're introduced in the senate. senator Benson of santa Clara brought in the administration primary election amendments. Sena- tor Ballard the opposition bills. Sen ator Wolfe of san Francisco intro dUred three measures providing for the acquisition of the California building at the Panama Pacific cN- position aS state normal school. and Senator Luce of San Diego. two meas Ures extending the Panama Calucir- uia exposition for one wear and ap- rropriatiu@ S5o,Goo to that exposition.
 Senator John N Ballard of Los An- reles. one If the strongest upper house opponents of the nom partisan bin 1T the last session predicted to- night that there would be mo fight over the election laws in the senate.
 The g"veruor'~ message in fuIl fol- lows.
 To The senate and assembly, In der the power vested in me by the constitution have duly issued cali for an eluaorduary session of the legislature and have convened you for three specific purposes
 IT. amend the election laws of the state a~ specifically set forth in subdivisions l and } of the call
 To take such action ae you may deem appronriat- in reference to the San Francisco Normal School and
 To u.SS such action as you deem essential in relation to the san Diego Exposition
 ' THE LECTION LAWS.
 T take iJ th.,r yal are familiar with the condition at once contradie- torE and confusing of the election laws of the state. and the necessity for remedial lc-iS.atiu1 Al the last se~- sion of the legislature in 1915. four laws relating L. elections were. passed and these four constituted d ha~- mnnious and complete system. Against two of the laws the referendum was invoked. and these two measures p0pularlv desiguaLed the uun-plrriS4u hills. were .u the 9th day of October lSat defeated The two measures thus submitted to the people ny referendum and rejected by the people were the bill relating to primary elections and that prescribing the form If ballot at the final election The two bills. which were not attacked. and con Soruin- which 20 referendum was in E"Eod, were the registration bin and
 presidential preference primary law The question presented to the voters at the special election was clean cut and well defined. and that question was whether or not the off ciaIs Of the state required to be elected by the voters should be chosen . fashion. All of the persuasive en- ! deavors of both sides of the contra- i yersE in the special election were di- ! rected solely to this question. and on ! one side if was argued that our state i officials should be elected without re- | gard to partisanship, and ou the | other the desirability "f parties {, choosing candidates for state offices /. was earnestly advocated. The regis { tratiou bill. under which the elector : is not required tQ. state his party af- , at the time of registration. : was accepted by both sides and ac- quiesced in by all the people of the ! state of California. Since August To- ! 1915. f has been continuously the law of the state and is today the : solemn enactment of both houses Of , the legislature and of the executive | branch of the government.
 The primary law of 1913 continued /, in force because of the defeat of the ! 0hIINI