The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-02-09
AIR IS FULL
OF PRIMARY
COMPROMISE
Older Heads Can See Little
Hope. However, for Agree
ment Except by Eliminating
Presidential Primaries.
ARE UNEASY

lowing the decision yesterday for the
appointment of a joint committee of
the legislature and the Republican
state committee to consider the prim-
AIRY question, the air today was full OF
compromise talk, but the older heads
could see little hope of an agreement
except in the direction of elimination
of the presidential primaries.
1t was pointed out in this connection
that there never have been any great
differences about the methods of max
ing local nominations. And it was
just as tue, it was explained, that the
differences over the proposed methods ,
of nominating candidates for United
States senator and governor could ,
hardly be compromised.
The hope was therefore expressed /
that the question might be settled by /
the pro-primary people agreeing to the
abolishment of the section Of the pres |
ent law relating to presidential primar- /
les. Some suggestions that there /
might be d compromise in the matter !
of the nomination of congressional
candidates but this theory was pretty |
well exploded by the understanding !
that the antiprimary people have been
willing for some time to let the con- |
sressional primary provision of the
law stand as it is.
Strength Questioned.
In the gossip around the hotels last
night it was assorted that the pro-pri- !
mary people would never agree to /
elimination of the presidential prim-
aries but this was the talk of the lead
ers Of the pro-primary crowd and the
big question that was unsettled was
whether the pro-primary leaders could
hf,1I hrir l,nr,
Many expressed the belief that they
could not do SO.
1t was being pointed out also that
the elimination of the presidential
primaries would be rather poor con-
cession for the anti-primary crowd
to gain since the main issue on which
they have been fighting is the method
of nomination of candidates for gov
ernor and United States senator.
All Kinds of Talk.
- All kinds of talk was in the air to-
day about breaking of the forces of
the pre-primary crowd. The fact that
Senator Kiper was not among those
who called on the governor yesterday
gave rise TO the talk that he might on
the next fight desert the pro-primary
people and there was similar talk
about one or two other senators.
In other quarters it was said that it
was not Senator kiper'S views on the
primary that kept him away from the
governors office. 1t was said that he
was against the plan of making any
call on the governor at all. In the last
primary contest in the senate when
the Beardsley bill was defeated, Sen
ator kiper voted against calling the
Beardsley bill from the committee. but
on the vote to kill the bill he voted
with the primary contingent.
NejdI firm.
The fact that Senator Neidl Of Lake
county was one OF the delegation that
Visited the governor and took a prom
inert part in the conferences seemed
TO assure that he will stand firmly for
the primary. regardless Of what chan
ges may be made in the program.
Some of those who favor the primary
We're inclined today TO be little I'M
easy about the Joint committee ar
rangement that was made by the dele
cation that visited the governor eX-
Pressing the fear that in conference
with influential men representing the
Republican state organization the pro
primary conferees might be inclined 10
so further than they should and that
thus the whole fight for the retention
or the primary would he weakened.
Fears Ai'ayed.
However they were assured by some
of the primary men WHO called on the
governor and MADE the arrangement
that no such fear need be entertained:
that the pro-primary confereeS would
remain firm In fact il was being said
tCdav that he friends of the prmary
ould go much further now than they
did in tho skirmiSh that resulted in the
death of tho Beard@!ey bill. There
was even talk that if the fight gets
warm enough the friends of the
rrimnry shall N some way call for an
uprising of the people and the food
ing of the legislature with kilograms
from all parts of the state
It WAS noticeable that although four
Democratic senators were in the
crowd that visited the governor Sen
a.or Cravens. the Democratic floor
leader was not present. It was pretty
generally understood today that Sell
ator Cravens who indivi idually is count
ed os being opposed to the primary
would not be able to hold the senate
minority together in any anti-primary
program.
Democrats in Fidht.
II was eaiG that al least five and
rnssiblv six of the nine Democrats in
The senate would stav with the friends
Of the PRIMARY 10 the finish.
In the fight on the Reardslev bill in
which The vote was 26 to u in favor
cf the primary supporters, seven
Democrats voted on the Dro-primary
side A switch of one Democratic vote q
would leave the Starding % to 80
With this standing il'a supporters of
the urinary could afford to lose only
Cne Republican vote. From these fig
rres may be gained an impression of
why the surrorters Of the urinary are
so fearful about any unuSnal pressure
that may be eNertad nv the governor
or the state organization against the
primary.
Was No Roll Ca'i.
" IS true that +ha Sta~d'ng vote hv
which the pea~dslev bill was killed
was 2e To Is. hut there was no roll
ca'l and the vote was taken at time
Continued on Page Five)