New-York tribune., 1918-03-14
Senator Elon Brown Leads
in Denunciation of the
Present System
Opposed by Bennett
Many Prominent Men Argue
for Return Of the Party
Convention
Staff COl.resDOndcncel |

ALBANY, March 13.-Distinguishcd
jurists, educators, leaders of the bar
and numerous organizations urged the
enactment Of the bill restoring the
party convention for the nominating of
candidates for the judiciary and all
state Offices at hearing to-day before
the Special Senate Elections Commit
tee.
Senator Elon r. Brown, who is lead
ing the fight for the restoration Of the
party convention, made the big speech
for the measure, declaring the present
system tended toward establishing a
Bolsheviki wherever it was in force.
William NJ. Bennett, who defeated
Mayor Mitchell in the Republican pri-
marics last fall and was himself de-
ieated the year previous by Governor
Whitman, came out strongly for the
retention of the direct primary system
IN its present form.
The nomination Of Whitman in 1914,
SAID Bennett, was the result of po-
litical cabal.
Gould it have been pulled off under
the convention system 2" asked Senator
Newton.
Delegates Rubber Stamps
"You have been to a convention.
You KNOW" answered Mr.. Bennett "a
thousand delegates come from all parts
OF the state, and they are nothing but
rubber stamps. Eight or ten men do
the whole business. Something ought
to be done to make party management
responsible"
well, how?" asked Senator Brown
"Make the county chairman of New
York County elective, and give a de-
cent Republican chance to be reg
ular," shouted Bennett "No commun-
ity that adopted direct primaries has
ever abandoned it."
Speaking for the partial repeal of
the direct primary system and the
restoration of the convention, Senator
Brown said:
"The failure on the part of parties
to state principles means a decay of
of the members of that party, and if
an electorate is not guided by princi-
pies 1T is sure to tend toward the
Bolsheviki, if it does not go the whole
way.
eve don't want soldiers and work
mems councils. We want the ex-
preston Of an intelligent opinion of
cur electorate, and we cannot get that
unless lhat electorate can have some
system by which it can, in a represen-
tative way, declare it's principles. There
is great necessity for deliberaton,
and there is opportunity for de
liberation under the direct primary"
"The convention gave US better men
and principles and provided means of
allaying factional strife" said William
ID. Guthrie, speaking for the Bar As
sociation of New York
"The direct primary craze is mental
disease. If you permit it to continue
longer, to eat away 1T our representa-
tive system and our party government,
you will soon see government by
groups, ever pickering, the same svs-
tenn that brought the French parlia-
mentary system into such disrepute."
D-Cady Herrick and Job E. HEDGES
also spoke in favor of the return of the
party convention. Letters urging the
Legislature to pass measure making
this possible were read from former
Chief Judges of the Court of Appeals
Edgar NJ. Callen and Willard Bartlett,
ex-Judge A. T; Clearwater, of the Su-
prcme Court Nathan L. Miller, former
Judge Of the Court of Appeals; Presi-
dent James r. Sheffield of the Republi-
can Club of New York City; Nicholas
Murray Butler and the Brooklyn Young
Republican Club
The Citizens Union and the Short
Ballot Association opposed the measure.