The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-01-28
NEW PRIMARY
Bill is DE|'!AD
Revision, Rather Than Abo-
lition of Law Now
Expected
The Times News Bureau

Sir Walter Hotel
RALEIGH, Jan. 28.-The Mur-
phy-Bowie-Neal bill repeating the
statewide primary law is now as
dead as a door-nail, but if senti-
ment expressed during a public
hearing on the bill yesterday is
any indication, there will be a
heavy demand on the current leg
islature to decrease the costs Of
holding primaries.
The committees action in kill
ing the repeater is likely to silence
talk on the perennial proposal to
abolish the primary system for the
time being, since it would take
two-thirds majority of the house
to put the bill on the favorable
calendar. And while supporters OF
the proposal are stronger numeri-
cally than ever this year, they are
far short of majority.
In former yearS--eVer since the
statewide primary law was enact
ed in 1915-efTorts have been
made to repeal it, but such at
tempts were never impressive.
This year tn e repeater was
dropped into the house hopper
with the signatures of % repre-
sentatives, and represented a for
midable beginning for such pro-
posal.
The committee vote on the bill
was 6 to 3 to report i unfavor-
ably. It's proponents claimed that
it would save the state hundreds
of thousands of dollars and result
in less corruption than exists I'M
der the primary system. They also
advanced the contention that out
side the governor and a few local
officers, the average voter Is not
greatly concerned about who he
votes for.
Rep. Murphy led the fight for
the bill, claiming that it would
save the taxpayers of the state
nearly million dollars, and that
it would result in better men be-
ing elected to office.
The opposition, however, was
overwhelming. not only from
members of the committee, but
from score or more Of other in
dividuals. Labor unions had sew
eral representatives on hand to-
protest against taking away the
citizens right to vote just at q
time when North Carolina has
succeeded in educating thousands
of persons to the extent that they
can vote and take an interest In
politics. :.
Most members of the commit
tee opposed the bill on the ground
that it would result i'll an "invisi-
ble" machine-made government
in the hands of only few. Thirty
years ago, when the masses Of
people were illiterate, and q few
veaders had to think for them, the
convention system may have been
proper. But with the advances in
good roads and education, it " culd
be unheard of to repeal the pri-
mary system, opponents of the
bill maintained.
Rep. Gardner of Cleveland. a
member of the committee, said the
bill was the result of movement
in North Carolina "to run the gov
eminent with a machine" and was
not in accord with the states true
sentiment. at is a machine bill"
he said. "The last primary wreck
ed machine control in North Caro-
lima and now the machine is going
after the government, with this
dangerous piece of legislation" !
The committee also has before
it a bill to. repeal the absentee bal
lot law which, while it has consid-
cradle opposition, is not expected
to have as hard Shedding as the
primary repeater. A bill is now
being drawn, it is understood, to
reduce the costs of the primaries
by cutting the excess of printed
ballots down to % per cent over
the number Of registered voters.
Under the present law two ballots
have to be printed for each regis
tered voter.
aCenCIY IN MOnE- -~~ -s"'T -----~--, $500