New-York tribune., 1905-12-27
4 DISSOLVED PARTNERSHIP.

Whatever personal differences, not apparent
on the surface, may possibly have led to the
break between Mr.. Woodruff and Mr.. Dady IN
Kings County, there can be no doubt that the
former Lieutenant Governor has keen sense
of the way the wind blows That is valuable
trait in a political leader. and Mr.. Woodruff
shows that his instinct for gauging public opin-
ion not only is In excellent working order but
also acts with uncommon rapidity. It did not
take him ten hours after the election to grasp
its true meaning and publicly proclaim his view
of the proper policy of the Republican party.
For that he is entitled TO credit While many
other active politicians were rubbing their eyes
and wondering what it all meant. he was for
mulating progressive measures with perfectly
clear head, and now, while many leaders who
ought to know better are shutting their eyes to
popular sentiment he has fairly broken away
from old alliances to advocate new methods OF
party management which he believes the voters
want.
On the morning after election Mr.. Woodruff
suggested the populariZation of the party or
ganization, even going so far as to favor direct
primary nominations and a reform policy Whcn
Mr. Dady thought was catering too much to
public clamOr." Mr.. Dady does not believe III
''pandering to the better element" and SO the old
partnership is dissolved. Their different points
of view are due, perhaps as much as to
and ambition Both are practical politicians
;,ut Mr.. Dady is practical within a narrow field
The possession of an organization-the dime
held sclose to his eye-is more important than
victory at the polls-the dollar held at such
distance as to look small With the organlza-
ton Mr.. Dady can do many things. In spite OF
Tammany victories he can hold appointive office
under the Mayor. He can reward his friends
with local nominations which now and then are
made valuable by election. So long as he can
hold these advantages of leadership victory for
the party in the state at large is Of secondary
Importance Mr. Woodruff is on a larger stage.
He sees the state as a whole. Whatever am
bftions he may cherish large ambitions, de-
pendent for their realization not on the mantpu-
lation Of primaries but on the favor of public
opinion. All of Mr. WCodruffs interests tend to
make him an accurate student of popular feel
ing and his present course is significant In that
it is a confirmation by one who ought to know
of the right judgment Of those who insist that
the time for party reform has come. that 1t Is
not only an opportunity but necessity.
1t is much the fashion of the professed prac-
teal politicians to sneer at such reform. But
in the end they always find that those they
sneer at are the real practical politicians, while
they have been the theorists. They have
theory that machinery counts for everything
From time TO time storm signals give warning
of danger, and if they are not needed the ma
chinery gets smashed to pieces. But these per
sons never learn anything. Give them half
chance and they will go on and butt their heads
against a wall again. 1t takes somebody with
at least a little Of the despised amateur spirit
to know what ordinary people think and to
realize that what they think is the verdict of
success or failure on political effort MI
Woodruff is still enough of an amateur, which
perhaps amounts to being enough of states
man, to appraise at it's true worth the sig
nifcance of the public revolt against bossisn
So. at the cost of old friendship, he joins the
President and the Governor in advocating re-
form of the party. He has Intelligence enough
to see that even his own work as party leader
NAV be in need of reforming and to invite in
dependent Republicans Of high standing TO ad-
wise him To Mr.. Dady, quite apart from any
wish to stand with Mr.. Odell in his fight on
President Roosevelt and Governor Higgins, this
must seem the height of folly, as likely TO break
down that exclusive control of party machinery
which is so highly valued by politicians who
have no desire to test their popularity at the
polls Hence the dissolved partnership.