The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-11
Senate This Afternoon Votes
for New Way in Kansas.
. Bill Has Been FavOrably Re-
ported to the House, Also.
IT is A TOOL OF THE RICH
Enemies Say Only AristOcrats
Can Run for Jobs.
sit VIII Keep NOnpartisan
league Out of Kansas"

The Kansas senate this afternoon,
by a vote of 20 to 8, broke the back
bone of the statewide primary cleo
ton law by passing a bill providing
for the nomination of many offices by
convention
This measure states that nomina-
lions for United States senator. repre-
sentatives, justices of the supreme
court and all state offices, excepting
state senators, state representatives
and district court judges shall be made
by convention.
This leaves county and city candi-
dates and those excepted in the bill
TO be voted for at the primary. The
bill does away with the statewide pri-
mary.
Senator Anderson. in explaining his
vote, stated that the bill would keep
the Nonpartisan league out of Kansas.
Senator Paulen stated that his people
had not asked to have the primary re-
voked, hence he could not vote that
way
Getty and Price Led Fight.
Senators Getty of Wyandotte and
Price of Ashland led the fight for the
passage of the new, or rather-the
partial return to the convention plan
measure in its most radical form. Con-
servative forces which sought to, at
least, leave the selection of the COVER
nor and United States senator nomina-
lions in the hands of the primary were
led by Senator Keene of Bourbon.
When the bill came up for final
passage keene was on his feet and of
fered an amendment which would eli
inmate the nomination OF United
States senator from the convention
scheme. and also declared that after
it was voted upon he would offer an
other amendment to also retain the
governor in the primary. This brought
Getty to his feet in a TRADE on the
primary plan. The senator from
Wyandotte asserted that he would like
to see the present method in nOminat-
ing party candidates repealed in its
entirety.
Politics a Rich Mans Game.
Under the present system" he said.
politics is q rich mans game We
hear rumors every day of men spend
ing from $4,000 to 100000 in political
campaigns. We see men going out
under the guise of charity and estab-
fishing clubs and. all sorts of prizes to
increase their popularity. Why, it
costs $4,000 to distribute circulars
turnout the state
Getty declared that the point of his
argument as that the poor man
couldn't afford to run for office under
the primary system. He also asserted
that the primary law is being con-
demned by the people and upheld by
large newspapers, the latter dominat-
ing elections and nominations.
Railroads Out of Power.
He derided the possibility of rail-
roads again getting the upper hand.
1.-THE railroads. he asserted, went
out as a big power in politics with the
passage of the anti-pass law"
Getty talked to considerable length
and punctuated his speech with &C
cusa lions hurled at the heads of
newspapers which he said We're tboss-
ing" Kansas politics thru the primary
law, by putting up candidates and sup
porting them.
Price. of Ashland, also talked in
support of the convention plan as il.
the proposed measure. He character
lied the primary law as aristocratic,
and admitted that the proposed meas
ure is an assault upon the primary law
with intel-t to kill. However. he de-
clared the present plan too expensive
campaign and too many candidates
He declared that newspapers now
paint candidates in such a way that
the people can tell nothing about
them.
This got a raise" out of Satter-
thwaite of Butler, an editor who arose
to a personal privilege and question:
Prices statements. Price declared that
his remarks were not aimed at the
"honest and reliable editors of the
state" and classified Satterthwaitt
among these more desirable newspaper
men.
In the course of his talk Price de
clared that the bill should not only e