The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-01-21
OPPONENTS
OF PRIMARY
Open FIGHT
Conflicting Views Presented
at Public Legislative Hear
ing in Senate Chamber
Friends and Foes Argue Bill.
WOMEN INTERESTED
Especial Correspondence of the
Richmond RaIladfum.l

QlT6CC primary Is all INDUSTRIOUS uS-
vice which bars from Office every man
who is not wealthy.
If a man is not sufficiently we'll
known to get nomination without
spending money he should not make
the race.
Under the direct primary in Califor-
mia, many poor men have been
nominated to high Office under the
direct primary.
In Indiana men who have sought
nominations under the direct primary
have been compelled to spend enor-
nous sums.
On account of the unrest and danger
of serious disturbances this is no time
to abolish the direct primary and SO
anger the people.
Under the direct primary there is
good chance for the dangerous element
to gain control as has been shown in
Idaho.
Under the direct primary the people
make the nominations and the po-
litical organization does not dominate.
Under the direct primary the ma
chine gains control just as easily as it
does under the convention system.
Discuss Measure.
Such were the conflicting views pre-
SChICu IdSt al5uJ bclole dll duulCuCS
that filled the state senate chamber
by speakers who had under discussion
the Beardsley bill which would repeal
the direct primary as it relates to
governorship and United States SEN
atorship nomination and leave the
question optional in local communities
and the Alldredge bill which would
widen the direct primary beyond the
SCOPE of the present law
The hearing last night was the first
legislative hearing of any consequence
that has been held since suffrage was
granted to women and the fact was
evident in the great number of women
who attended 1t was conservatively
estimated that fully one-third of those
in the senate chamber were women.
: Women Present.
Among the women present were
Mrs. Julia D. Nelson, the woman men,
Der Of the house; Mrs. Julia D. Hender-
son, prominent in the woman's fran
chise league of the state: Miss Kather-
inc Smith. assistant secretary of the
senate: Miss Alma Sickler, president
of the Indianapolis branch of the
League of Women Voters; Mrs. J. D.
Miltenberger wife of the Republican
leader in the house; Mrs. E. F. White,
''t''t IoiL tittolbSy SCIiClo III. AiilClld
Keller. prominent in the woman's
franchise league; Mrs. Ovid Butler
Jameson, of indianapolis; Mrs r. Har-
ry Miller, wife of the Indianapolis
politician and many Others. There was
mild applause when telling points were
made on either side.
Uses Ballots.
Senator A. Fl. Beardslev. author of
the Beardslev, bill, opened the discus
sion by calling attention to sample
ballots that had been distributed to
all Of the desks. These were ballots
used in an election in one Indianapolis
precinct and they certainly were large
enough. When those in the audience
began to unfold them for inspection as
requested by Senator Beardsley it
sounded as though a small sized cy-
clone was blowing waste paper
through the senate chamber.
By the large number of names on
these ballots Senator Beardsley has
sought to show that the direct primary
is complicated affair and that il is
practically impossible for the voters to
know all about all of the candidates.
Mr.. Beardsley made the point that
there was no intention on the part Of
anybody to return to the old caucus
system. but that what was intended
was to elect DELEGATES by means of " ell
guarded legal primaries.
Explains Measure
He submitted that il would be much
easier for any voter to select six or
seven delegates TO represent him in
the matter Of nominations than it
would be to trv 10 pass on long and
complicated ticket. Senator Beardsley
said the whole proposition appeared so
simple to him that he did not think
it was necessary to discuss It to any
considerable extent
Senator Alldredge author OF the All
dredge bill, followed. He said that
the only serious objection he had ever
heard made against tho direct primary
was the expense and if his bill became
n law this evil would be remedied he
said because there was provision
sreat'v diminishing the number OF
election officers. The lack in election
officers he said would be met hv candi-
dates watchers. Under his bill every
candidate would have The right to have
watcher at the voting places.
RYAN Favors Primary.
Oswald RYAN. a Young attOrnev Of
Anderson, snoke in favor of the direct
primaries Unless the men and wom-
en- ran vote AT primaries TOT the NOM
inafion of candidates thew probably
will nc~ vote at all, in other words
they will not vote at primaries that
are held for the purpose of selecting
delegates he said. Replying to the
argument that the urinary calls for
a long ballot he said this objection
would not be valid if it was made in
connection with the nomination of can
didates for governor and United States
senator. These two offices he said
would not constitute long ballot.
He said that out of AZ states that
had adopted the direct primary it had
been abolished in only one state and
that was Idaho. The action taken in
Idaho he said was an emergency action
to prevent the nonpartisan league from
getting control through the primary
of governmental affairs in that state.
The people of Montana he said in a
referendum had overwhelmingly SUI
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