Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-18

women leaders. represented by th'
!, PENNSYLVANIA League Of Women Voters
have determined to make the question oI
the retention or abolition Of the direct
primary system one of the big issues il,
the May primaries, when candidates fol
s State offices and for the General As
semb1y will be nominated.
Announcement was made today at the
neadquar,crs Of the League. Of which
Mrs. John O. Miller Is chairman. that
all candidates for State Office. particu
larly for Governor and for members OF
che Legislature. will be called on to
state in advance in writing their stand
on direct primaries.
The League. it was officially an
nounced, is opposed to the abolition Of
the direct primary on the ground that it
would mean return to the old
fashioned and boss controlled conven =
abolish the primary would be n move TO
make the woman vote ineffective. They
say this vote can be made effective in
an open primary.
QUESTIONABLE for Candidates
A questionnaire will be sent to each
candidate for the 20S seats in the Lower
House and to each candidate for the
twenty five seats to be filed in the State
then be informed of the attitude of the
candidates on the primary issue.
Z Women leaders say they have received
conhrmations Of earlier sHspicions that
organization leaders will cause bill
to be introduced at the forthcoming
session Of the Legislature to abolish
the primary system and return the old
convention method. Organization lead
ers who frankly are in sympathy with
the proposal TO ABOLISH the primaries
were much encouraged this week by
President Iiarding's words which
seemed to favor the abolition of the
In this connection it was learned
autboritatively that organization State
leaders regard the abolition Of the non
partisan primary, at the last session Of
the State Legislature. as being the first
atep toward the abolition of party
primaries. The non. partisan system Of
making municipal nominations in Pitts
bureh and Scranton and of making
nominations for the judiciary was wiped
xeat In the 1921 Legislature by bills
sponsored by Senator T. Larry Eyre.
Chester County leader, who was one
Of the Sproul- Grow legislative whips.
Senator Eyre. it Is said. is just as
ready to sponsor n bill which would
restore the old party convention. Othri
organization members of the Legislature
say they would gladly support such n
move. Among these, it is understood,
is Senator Frank L. Baldwin, Of Pot.
ter County. who was president pro TEN
OF the upper chamber last session. In
arguing for their proposition. organi-
cation leaders say that the primary sys-
tenn Is too expensive for individual
candidates.
PoctetbOoks Are Factors
The convention system ls finding more
favor with old line political bosses Just
now because Of the scramble for the
gubernatroral nomination. The backer
Of each candidate is worrying about
the expense of 4 Statewide primary
contest. At the same time it appears
Impossible at this juncture to get the
rival groups together into a harmony
movement.
When Senator PenrOse was alive, tho
rivals would generally accept the de-
cree of "the big boss AS there Is no
State boss these days. the county lead
ers would like to find relief in con-
vention.
Mrs. Miller said that the canvass of
the candidates was authorized at the
State convention of the League in
Wilkes Barre last December when n
resolution was adopted setting forth
the "the ngitation for repeal Of the
direct primary has appeared in this
State" and that candidates should be
required to state their position.
Women leaders recognize the fact
that the primary system has not always
produced the best results. But. they
say that ut tho worst, it is bcttcr than
the convention system. Further, they
argue that it is always possible toIlm.
prove results in the primary. as voters
become more end more educated to their
responsibilities, while the convention
system clamps an iron hand on the
nominations.