The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-14
LENT .-Gov. WOODRUFF AND THE


 From the Brooklyn Standard Union.
 There are ten delegates to be elected
 to the national republican convention
 from this county who will do exactly as
 Lieutenant-G Governor Woodruff asks
 them to do, and there is a delegation to
 be elected to the republican state con-
 vention next spring that will select the
 four delegates at large from this state
 to the presidential convention which
 will carry out the lieutenant- governor wishes as to the candidates to be voted for to fill these position. And yet not even his bitterest democratic opponents have called him" or even hinted that he was a political boss That certainly is remarkable showing. Timothy l.. Woodruff's position is unique. He is not political boss, yet he has so thor oughly gained the confidence of the peo- pie as leader that his influence is more marked than that of any political boss. It extends far outside the lines of his party Take, for instance, the dem- ocratic Brooklyn Eagle On Sunday it devoted a leading editorial to show ing that MT, Woodruff was eminently fitted by education, character, ability and achievements in the world of com merce and in the domain of politics to fill the ice-presidency, All Brooklyn, it said. was behind him, and that was true Now the Eagle has sharply fought the lieutenant governor in poli- tics before and since he received his present commission from the people of the state, and it is literally and adso- 1utely true that Mr. Woodruff has not opened his lips to any human being about the presidency, unless the subject has been preached to him, for he believes that, like the presidency, it is an office that should not be personal ly sought or refused. These facts are evidence of the power of the mans per Sonality. His methods of procedure in politics are of the simplest. Some fight was made against his leadership at the primaries last September by interested politicians, who sought to diminish his for their own advantage. In the most exciting part of the primary MT. Woodruff went to Eu- rope to keep pressing business en- gagement, and did not return until a short time before the primaries Yet he and his friends carried every assembly district in Brooklyn. At no point was his leadership successfully disputed. Nor was any feeling of venom left after the fight. The lieutenant governor in- vited the unsuccessful, as well as the successful, district leaders to participate Tn a conference with the independents at his house, so that every enrolled repub- lican should have voice in making up the county ticket. The utmost harmo- ny prevailed, and the ticket recommend ed was adopted by the republican coun- ty convention. Of course, the county was heavily democratic. but it was above all things essential to make as- sembly gains, so that the legislature night be saved to Governor Roosevelt 'or his second year. The senate was llready republican. The harmony in he party in Kings county, for which he Acknowledgements strove so stren- lously, produced splendid results. In S97 we had but five assemblymen, and he following year but six. This year | ve have nine republican assemblymen rom Kings county, enough to save the assembly to the party if some of the l threatened districts in other counties | were lost. IL Was by taking the chair | of the campaign committee | himself that MT Woodruff wiped out | he last vestige of disaffection in the | ,arty organization. Every shade of l actionalism disappeared. The organi- ation as a man rallied to his support, | md it stands behind him to-day ready | o follow enthusiastically the leadership | hat brought harmony into the party | where discord existed, that made such | plendid assembly gains, and that utter | y demoralized the democratic machine | " defeating J. Morrissey Gray for reg ster and largely cutting down the nor nal democratic majorities.
 Timothy l.. Woodruff would be heard | rom in the councils of the nation if he | were elected vice-president.