Story of the Session of the California Legislature of 1909Hichborn, Franklin
History
Story of the Session of the California Legislature of 1909
Hichborn, Franklin
California -- Politics and government
For Wright's motion - Burnett, Wright - 2.
Against Wright's motion - Bell, Birdsall, Black, Boynton, Cartwright,
Cutten, Holohan, Miller, Roseberry, Stetson, Strobridge, Walker - 12.
Excused from voting - Campbell, Estudillo, Hurd, Thompson.
A scene of great confusion followed. Campbell, who had refused to vote
because he insisted upon the Oregon plan of electing United States
Senators by direct vote of The People, insisted that the provision be
incorporated into the bill. He refused to be bound by any plan that
would restrict the election within party lines. So they blocked Campbell
in one corner of the room with a table, and reasoned with him.
Twenty-one votes were required to pass the Direct Primary bill in the
Senate. At that time counting Rush, who was not present at the caucus,
the anti-machine forces had only nineteen. They could not afford to lose
even one of their number.
Above the confusion, Senator Holohan managed to make his voice heard.
"Gentlemen," he said, "I would like to have the Oregon plan incorporated
into this bill, But that seems to be impracticable at this time.
Eventually, I am sure California will adopt the Oregon plan of naming
the United States Senator, which to my way of thinking is the most
common sense, the fairest, the most American plan. But if we are to pass
a Direct Primary measure at the present session, we must reach a basis
of compromise. Let us now get together and stand together on a measure
upon which we can all agree. Let us pledge ourselves to abide by the
decision of this meeting, and stand or fall by the bill which we have
agreed upon."
Holohan's counsel prevailed. The Senators present pledged themselves to
abide by the decision of the meeting and to stand or fall by the bill
which they had agreed upon. And Senator Leroy A. Wright was among them
and was bound in honor as every Senator present was bound in honor to
stand by the bill which had been agreed upon.
The uniting of the anti-machine Senators to fight the combined machine
Democrats and Republicans called down upon the anti-machine element the
denunciation of the machine press. The Catkins newspapers, for example,
sputtered their condemnation of Republican Senators who would unite with
Democratic Senators in "rump caucus."
On the other hand the San Francisco Call, at that time warmly supporting
the anti-machine movement in the Senate, was extreme in denouncing
Lieutenant-Governor Porter, presiding officer of the Senate, Leavitt,
Wolfe, and all others who were opposing the passage of the Direct
Primary measure as it had originally been introduced by Wright, and as
it had been agreed upon in the reform caucus[38].
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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