New-York tribune., 1917-05-03
Provisions OF the Bill
RrieAv tho hill proVldes:

Nominations for state oillccrs. except
Presidential electors. and for the auprem'
Court shall be made at party conEehtions ions u
hs held on or after the ninth Tuesday preced'
inn the general election, but prior 10 the
eighth Tuesday The official primary al
which delegates to the state and judicial con
Vention are TO be elected shall be held on th'
tenth Teusday before the general election
and in Presidential years an additional pr
mary election shall be held on the hrst Iues'
/ petitions Of enrolled voters dissatisfied with
the conventions choice must be Med not
earlier than the eighth Tuesday or later thar
the sixth Tuesday before the general eiec-
tion. and signatures obtained prior 10 NV
eighth Tuesday are void. II primary elec'
tion Is required by dissatisfaction with ne
conventions choice il shall be held on the
fifth Tuesday preceding the general election
The nominations OF the convention shall b'
the nominees at the general election unless
petitions of enrolled voters Tor another can,
didates for office are filed under the prescribed
conditions In that event the nominees OF
the convention become the candidates deslg
mated by the party, and TO remain the party
nominees must win in the extra primary
against the candidate designated by petition.
Brown Defends Measure
Only a few Senators participated in
the debate on the bill, which was
spirjted. Senator Brown declared that
the return to the convention system
WAS dictated to some extent BY the
grave issues Of the daY, which require
party councils TO name the men and
! frame the policies TO rule the state and
nation. The provision for judicial con
yentions. he said, was made TO eradl-
cate an intolerable condition. There
was nothing worse, he said, or more IN
consistent with the dignity OF the
bench than to have judges soliciting
signatures.
Senators Wagner. Whitney, Graves
and Wellington opposed the measure
The Democratic leader said that only
two weeks in which 70 override the
| conventions's choice was not sufficient
and gave the convention nominee toe
, great an advantage. Senator yelling
ton declared the party was inviting
trouble, although ne would like to see
the convention restored.
"a lot of us here believe in direct
primaries" said Senator Mills, "but we
have found that it is an absolute and
complete Joke. Theoretically a man is
chosen by the enrolled voters, but prac-
tically by the man who controls the
machinery in his district. ! believe in
the long run that under the convention
system you get better candidates than
under the direct primary system"
Senator Graves, Republican, of Buff
falo, took a slam at the Senate ma
chine and heckled Senator Mills. Sena.
tor Graves declared that the bill would
"rehabilitate the black horse cavalry
and dignity bunch of chair warmers
who have been hanging around the
Capitol lobbies all session"
The Senators who voted against reestab.
fishing the state convention were Burlin-
game, Gibbs. Gilchrist, Graves, Hill, Robin.
son, Lockwood, Murphy. stiyers, George L.
Thompson. Wellington and whitney. Repub-
Leans. and Cotillo. Dunnigan. Foley Wagner
and Walker, Democrats.