Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-29
DAILY KENNEBEC JOURNAL. THURSDAY JANUARY 20, 1925

mary syStenl--in fact return 10 the
convention system of nomination.
She stated that no such radicalism
as was seen on the floor of the Con-
gress in the past four years would
have been possible had it not been
for the blocs and classes which the
primary made possible. She claimed
women would show far greater In
terest even than they now do II the
convention system were returned
that three-fourths Of the delegates
to the conventions would be women.
Miss Gail Laughlin, practicing at
torney in Portland, was the next
speaker called by Sen. Anthoine.
Speaking very briefly Miss Laugh
lin urged change in the primary
system. stating that by picking out
( the best points of the direct primary
and the best points of the convention
system a satisfactory method OF
selecting the peoples representatives
could be reached.
Frank D.. Marshall
Frank D. Marshall of Portland said
! that Miss Laughlin seemed to have
covered all the fundamental object
| ions to the direct primary. He be-
| lieved in the Antoine bill. 1t re-
serves the safe guard of the referen-
dunn and he felt that it would be an
| Improvement on the workings of the
| present method of nominating candi-
| dates. He supposed that all present
understood that a bill to repeal the
| primary law and return to the old
| convention system in full was to
| come to the legislature by initiation.
i The legislature would be forced to
| send such n measure to the people.
! He hoped that the committee would
cIJcpnoI II, NvnrlSinO nf the D1kp
and Anthoine bills a measure which
would meet the needs of Maine.
DIR. Sylvester of Portland, who said
| that he had never been a candidate
for public office, and that he had
been a country physician for some
years expressed the belief that the
direct primary had been failure.
Under it no party could select it's
own candidate.
Mrs. Jennie Flood Kreger Of Fair
F! field was convinced that the women
! were opposed to the primary. She
was disguised with it and felt that
it was time to wipe the slate and
start new. All that the names on
/ the primary ballots meant to the vo-
| ters We're SO many names. They just
| knew that the represented so many
self appointed candidates. She had
a feeling that the Anthoine bill was
! too complex. but that it was bet
| ter than what Maine had now.
Mrs. Guy p. Gannett
| Mrs. Guy Z. Gannett of Augusta
| said that when women first got the
vote they all felt that the direct 'pri-
mary was a wonderful thing. Since
! then there had come change. In
! her opinion the majority of the wo-
men were opposed to it at this time.
! CT kain rf -
| opposed to the primary because he
felt. that it gave the self seeking pol
! itician chance to play upon political
hysteria. With n glib tongue and a
fat purse he could get himself NOM
| mated through specious arguments
/ and well rounded sentences. This
could not be accomplished under the
convention system. Under the pri-
mary system, he said. all we know
, OF Il candidate is that he is honest
| and he is the poorest judge.
! Mrs. Maud West of Winthrop was
! in complete accord with the previous
speakers. The direct primary was a
failure and disappointment to its
! friends, she said.
Representative Hamilton Of Carl
| bou. member of the committee.
, asked Senator Antkoine If he had
any figures to show that it had cost
more TO nominate n governor of
Maine under the primary system
than under the convention.
Anthoine-I cannot say that I
| nave. l do not@know what it has
cost to nominate n governor. do
know that in my own experience as
a candidate in county primary
that it cost great deal more tha
we were required to account for
! and every dollar was spent legiti-
mately.
Hamilton-Do you know whether
candidates for governor under the
convention system were poorer than
those under the primary?
! Anthoine-I would not want to
make any comparisons; should not
care to discuss that.
(. Representative Body
Rep. Body of Windham said he
mad been attending town meetings.
caucuses and elections for Al Years
ana TOD stories of political rotten
ness which had come under his oh
servation. He mentioned time
when the workers for a certain can
/ dldate for Governor bought, he said.
! every Democrat and every "low-
moral Republican" they could pro-
+ cure. He also mentioned other in
stances of the buying Of elections.
! Rep. Booty praised Gov. Brewster as
| a product OF the people and a real
! leader.
THE OPPOSITION
! The opposition to both bills was
led by Mrs. George II. French of
Portland, who said she had been
/ selected at the last minute to take
the place of Mrs. Althea C. Quimby
] OF Turner. State president of the w.
c. r. U.
! Il wish to offer three exhibits In
favor of the primary law" she said.
Exhibit /, Representative Cakes:
Exhibit 2, Senator Anthoine: Exhibit
3, the Send Legislature. We know of
no better way to judge O machine
/ than by it's output"
| Mrs. French said that the women
who are opposed to the repeal of the
primary are in favor of compnl-u V
| enrolment and there is no argument
| there. She declared that most WON :
en- in the State Of Maine are in favor
of the primary and opposed to its re-
peal.
Mrs. Sadie S. Bates of Belfast,
State vice president of the w c. Z.
L, said she believed the primary law
right. at least in principle. People
understand much more than they did
q IT. D>.k N~-H. C....~ A