with its friends, and failed to placate its enemies. From the beginning
the most effective arguments against the bill were found in the bill
itself.

This was demonstrated at the public hearing, held January 26th, to
consider the various provisions of the measure. The principal speakers
were Hiram Johnson and Judge John F. Davis.

Mr. Johnson dealt with the Direct Primary in a general way. He spoke of
it in its relation to practical politics, showing that an effective
Direct Primary would place this Government of ours back into the hands
of The People. That is what was wanted. Every point Johnson made was
received with applause from the crowd that packed the Senate Chamber.
And when Johnson concluded with an appeal for "a Direct Primary law that
shall be a Direct Primary law in substance and not in form alone," he
was cheered to the echo.

Judge Davis was not so fortunate in his text as was Mr. Johnson. Davis
was there to discuss the details of the bill. He had scarcely begun
before he found himself between a cross fire of questions from those on
the one side who wanted an effective measure passed and on the other
from those who wanted no Direct Primary at all. The opponents of the
Direct Primary scored few points; the believers in the measure did.

To save himself from a ridiculous position, Davis had to evade the
question whether he would rather see an able and effective Democrat
elected to the United States Senate than a vicious and corrupt
Republican. He failed as miserably in attempting to justify the extreme
partisan features of the bill. And the questions which Judge Davis could
not answer came from men who wanted to see an effective Direct Primary