South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-02-10
G. 0. P. BATTLE
IN STATE MAY
WRECK PARTY

is successful or not IN eliminating
himself. however. the action of the
organization and the party leaders
in attempting TO emasculate the law
will bear the administration stamp
and whatever house attaches to the
move Will be branded on the cover
nor.
The bitterness that marks the
battle in certain sections has result
ed in bringing out facts attendant TO
the state convention that have pre-
viously been held in secret archives.
The revelation. which came from re-
liable sources, shows that the domi-
mating factors in the move to knock
out the law have been Sens. New
and Watson.
Prior TO the state convention, it
will be recalled. state Chairman
Wasmuth named a platform advisory
committee TO draft a tentative re-
publican platform. When platform
committee met the night before the
convention it was presented with a
complete platform devised by the
advisory committee.
Platform Trainers.
The platform re-framers went
down the list Of planks, accepting
one here, amending another there.
and knocking out still others until
they came to the one on the pri-
mary.
Jesse Green, editor of the Fort
Wayne News-Sentinel, stood for a
straight out repeal plank. Mr.. Toner
wanted the primary system endorsed
and there the committee locked
horns. The battle would have gone
on indefinitely had not the threat of
a minority report from the pro-
primary adherents forced the COM
mittee 10 compromise by admitting
the advisory committees plank. It
was agreed according 10 reports,
that the committee should interpret
the plank as favoring the correction
OF the present primary law
Mr.. Toner ever since has taken
that stand.
1t is declared by the proponents
Of the primary that the plank. how
ever. was written at the dictation of
the two senators who helped,
through its lack of clarity, TO bring
about the repeal of the law as
party measure. II IL had not been
for the agreement reached by the
platform committee. IL is said by the
pro-prinoary crowd. there would be
contradiction 20 the Interpretation
that the nlank does call for the
death OF the law.
Stinc Measure.
The senate late Wednesday after
noon stifled the Hartsell bill calling
for an vestigation Of the financial
affairs OF the state colleges. when it
accepted a minority report favoring
indefinite postponement of the reso-
luton. The measure asked the SEN
ate and the house 20 appoint joint
committees to conduct the probe.
Sen. Lee J. Hartsell Of Fort
Wayne. who introduced the resolu-
ton several days ago. had been led
20 believe that II would meet fav-
orable reception from the senators.
He admitted this afternoon. how
ever. that he had oYerestimated the
strength Of what several senators al
ready have termed a Coolidge lob
by in the legislative halls. Many
senators who at first favored the
move turned against it when it came
up for acceptance.
Kill Resolution.
When the resolution was killed
the senate committee on rights and
privileges moved reluctantly 10 the
investigation OF the state board Of
education's text hook contracts. The
chairman, Sen. Miles J. Furnas. ad-
mitted he had little appetite for the
probe. The investigation concerns
the contracts which were let last
week by the board az a cost OF
$4,000 in excess Of the present
figures.