The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-02-15
PRIMARY LAW
REPEAL AGAIN
Up IN Senate
Defeat of Bill Predicted
After Surviving De bate
on Committee Report.
G. o. P. PLANK SCORED
m-RoIIered Into Party
Platform, Declares
Opponent.

Having survived the first clash
Oh a divided committee report
thursday afternoon the amended
Republican state cmmittee primary
repeal bill was printed and laid on
the senate desks today ready for the
second round in what is already
predicted to be a losing battle.
After an hour and One-half of
Cratory, pro and con, the bill was
saved by the narrow margin OF "a
10 10. Seven senator's we're absent
or not voting.
If the bill goes to final passage In
the senate, it was observed that it
stood small chance Of survival in
the house.
Charges Plank Steam -ROllered
AS amended IL provides for plac-
Ing nomination only Of the Cover
nor and United States senators into
the convention and for use of the
secret Australian ballot by delegates.
Originally the bill provided for Sc,
lection Of congressional candidates
at district conventions and made no
secret ballot provision. This was the
way 1t was handed to the sena tors
introducing it by the state commit
teemen.
The big plea for Republican sup
port Of the bill was made on the
grounds that repeal was one of the
planks in the 1928 G. o. P. state
platform. Alleged steam roller meth
ods by which that plank got in the
platform were vividly described by
Senator William F. Hodges, Gary,
opponent of repeal.
Il know something about this
convention where that plank was in
serted. for I attended it here in III
dianapoliS,' Hodges declared. First
the Tenth district delegates were
called over here to the Statehouse
Tor caucus Everything was set.
One man moved a nomination and
other that it be closed and by the
time the thing was over there we're
three of us still standing on the floor
trying to get recognition from the
chair.
Constantly Opposed Repeal
''Then we went to the convention
on which was run in the same man
ner, the chairman looking away Oft
somewhere else when there was a
person on the floor that he didn't
want to give recognition.
Under the rules, especially pre-
- pared, all resolutions must go to
the resolution committee. Then
when it came time to draft the plat
form a couple of poorly typewriter
sheets we're brought around by some
of the insiders. They were prob
ably typed in some dark room At
any rate they we're slipped to the
committee with the phrase, Boys,
here she is And there She was
the repeal plank of the Republican
party platform.
knowing how 1t was inserted
am I then a traitor to my party if
fail to support it?
Throughout my entire campaign
7 constantly announced that I IA
vored the primary law and did not
favor its repeal.
Popular Rule at Stake
I'VE must admit the primary is
sound or that We believe that the
voters are of such low order of in
telligence that they are incapable of
f-government.
"Of course the latter is what the
kaiser thought and what Mussolini
thinks today. But for my part, ]
still believe in popular sovereignty
There is not a single sound argu-
ment against the primary except
that you do not believe in a demo
cratic form of government.
IF the Republicans of this assem-
bly, repeal the primary they are in
viting political death for the rank
and file of the people OF Indiana are
not in favor of repeal"
Senator Robert L. Moorhead made
a speech for primary retention
in which he asserted that "75 pei
cent of the people of Marion county
are in favor of the primary and the
other 25 per cent belong to the Co.
lumbia Club" Moorhead and Nib
lack we're the only senators from
Marion county to vote for INDEFINITE
poStponement.
Senators Carl NJ. Gray, PeterS-
burg and Andrew E. Durham
GreencaStle. talked for the primary
from the Democratic side and only
Senator Joseph NJ. Cravens, Madl-
son. talked against it. He said Il
cost too much and that the can
didates had to have unlimited re-
sources or make pledges.
Hodges countered with the remars
that it was not lack of money thai
caused defeat in the primary hui
Just the fact that the people didn'1
want you"
How Senators Voted
The primary roll call:
For Repeal-Adams, Beckett, Bee
son. Brown, Clancy. Clements, Coop
er. Draper Friedley. Garrott, Har-
Ian. Hewitt, Hill. Hoadley. Hoffman
Huff. johnson. Miller, Pell, Rowley
Sherwood, Southworth, StoneX
Walter, all Republicans.
Against Repeal = Alldredge
Hodges, Kline, Lindley, Martin
Moorhead, Niblack. Nottingham
Sims, strey. Republicans; Benz
Davis, Doogs, Durham, Gray, Ket-
cnum. Koenig, Morris, Perkins
Democrats.