New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-26
Fight Begun
To Kill Direct
Primary Law
Leaders of Both Parties
Forecast Repeal at Com
ing Legislative Session
Favor Convention Plan
COvernor-EIect Smith Is En-
pected to Support Re-
turn to the Old System

A determined drive to abolish the
party convention system of naming
candidates fer all Offices will be made
IN the next Legislature. Leaders Of
both the Democratic and Republican
parties are backing the movement, and
its success, they predict, is assured
Governor elect Alfred E. Smith, who
fought the enactment of the direct
primary law for seven years, will, it is
understood, assist leaders of the maj or
parties in their efforts.
Politicians who have canvassed the
newly-elected members of the Legsla-
ture declare measure repeating the
direct primaries and restoring the
partN convention will pass in both
houses by safe majority.
The Legislature for the last three
years has stood ready to enact such a
measure, but Governor Whitman pre-
vented its passage by announcing he
would veto it. At no time did the anti,
Whitmanites have a sufficient follow
ing to pass it over hi, veto.
Few Opposed to 1t
There is a small faction in both
parties VIII does not want the direct
primary tempered with in any vital
Particular And these are waiting to
see what action the New York Repub-
lean County Committee takes on the
resolution favoring the virtual repeal
Of the law. The resolution will be
acted on at the January meeting
Copies of the document, which have
sbeen mailed to the committeeman by
Samuel S. Koenig, county president,
read:
"Resolved, That it is the sense of
the Republican County Committee of
The County of New York that the pres
ent method of nominating candidates
for public office be abolished and that
return be recommended to the sys-
tenn Of nominating such candidates by
rarity conventions composed Of dele
gates elected at official primaries"
This resolution embraces the senti-
ments of those who want to see the
Old order of things reestablished And
II carried into effect it would leave but
skeleton of the present law on the
books-just sufficient to enable the
voters to select delegates to the vari-
Gus nominating conventions. Those
claiming to know declare the resolution
will be adopted.
Law Enacted in 1913
The present law was put on the books
in 1913. In the spring of that wear
Governor Suzer urged the Legislature
to pass law even more radical than
that now on the books. The Legis-
lature. controlled by Tammany, re-
voited and adjourned without passing
the law.
Sulzer then toured the state attack
ing Charles f. Murphy as the boss of
the Legislature and convoked an ex
traordlnary session of the Assembly
tor the summer of 1918 to pass the
measure
The. Legislature met. but instead of
passing the law impeached Sulzer, and
with Martin II. Glynn in the Execu-
tive Chamber passed modified direct
primary law, as there was an almost
universal demand for one, and Cover
nor Glynn signed it.
This demand first was voiced in 1906,
when Charles L. Hughes was Governor,
and his Intellectual fight to put the
direct primary law on the statute books
is memorable in political annals.
Assailed by Lewis Rackers
In the recent contest in the Repub-
lean primaries the hackers of Attorney
General Merton +. Lewis made vigorous
attacks on the direct primaries, declar-
ing they made for an office holders
trust. AT the time these men. among
Item some of the biggest men in the
Republican party predicted in private
hat Governor Whitman could not be
beaten IN the primaries and that moth
ing could save HIM at the general cleo
ton. Their contention was that prac-
! tlcally mono but party workers voted
y IN the primaries, and that since tbe
bulk of party workers we're office
holders the man in office who was 81
candidate IN the primaries was almost
certain of renomination This condi-
ton OF things, they argued. nullifcd
he spirit of the direct primary law
Another argument used against It was
that 1t was impossible to have Marty,
explorations on candidates for state
Stlces IN commonwealth the size of
New York "0 "