Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-20
AEW YORK POLITICS
Difficulty in Securing an AS
sembly Speaker.
YOUNG WADSWoRTH
Oddities Accuse Governor Of ssBoss-
ism and Other Things-senator
spooner's Significant Remark.

New Workers In Washington arg very.
much interested in the situation which has
arisen in Empire state republican politics
IN connection with the contest Tor the
speakership Of the assembly. the lower
house OF the legislature. The political
wheel has made an amusing turn. putting
one faction in an attitude recently attrtb-
uted to the other.
For some weeks the anti-Odeu faction
has been accused OF efforts to dominate the
legislature through the selection OF
speaker Of the assembly. There 10 no ques-'
ton that Odell has been trying to secure
the selection of q speaker friendly to him
and his following. and loud cries against
''bossism' have been uttered ON the other
side. Mr.. Edwin A. Merritt OF st. Law
renee county seemed to have the odell
hacking.
But here comes the governor OF the state,
Mr. Higgins. with proposition for the Sc
worth. f.. to be speaker. He il spotted I'M
medaately as being associated with the
anti-Odell faction and, OF tourse, Is bitter
" opposed. The fanny part of 1t. however.
err,or more than upon young Wadsworths
. Governor Accused.
: The governor is accused OF .'bossisrn, .
and OF worse, namely that his suggestion Of
speaker OF the assembly is infringement
OF the executive upon the legislative branch
OF the state government. The Oddities
seized upon that issue with avidity and
are ringing the changes upon it with all
their might.
Dark hints are thrown out by the Odell
ties that the case Is still more compli-
Gated In that 1t may possibly represent
interference Of the national executive in
q c1off tive Gerhk bod
has assumed the risk of boldly Charging
to that effect. Everybody knows. Of
course. that the President as q New
Yorker and as the head Of his party, has
full interest in the factional fight in New
York, and has been endeavoring to
straighten out matters, but 1t Is not as
serted that he has attempted to dictate.
The selection Of Mr.. Wadsworth is said
to have occurred at dinner given by
Gov. Higgins last week at the guberna-
torial mansion in Albany, at which Mr..
Wadsworth and his father. Representa-
tive Wadsworth of New York, were pres
emit The announcement was made Mon
day afternoon at Albany by the governor.
Monday night Col. George Dunn, former
state chairman. and Representative J.
Hotel, having seen the President that
day. They announced their abandonment
OF other candidates and their Endorsement
of Mr.. Wadsworth. Since then Mr., Wads-
worth has enlisted the support of all the
Presidents friends, all the governors
friends, the followers of Senator Platt,
Col Dunn. Railroad Commissioner Aid
ridge. ex-Gov Black. Tim" Woodruff,
William Barnes, jr.. and other influential
politicians.
Mr.. Wadsworth married the daughter
of the late Secretary Hay. He is under
thirty years OF age and is serving his
second term In the legislature. He is a
Yale man, presently a farmer in north
ern New York, interested in outdoor
e. - sINJ
clean and competent young American.
There was an interesting echo of the New
York situation in the United States Sem
ate late yesterday afternoon.
Senator Spooner's Significant Remark.
Senator Spooner. while protesting against
enroachments Of one branch of the govern
ment on the other. made a significant re-
mark, which was commented upon later by
some of his hearers as possibly having a
doube-barreled aim. He said:
THE only fear / have ever entertained,
MIR. President, for the future of our gov
eminent has arisen from apparent popular
liberation of or encouragement to inva-
sions by one department OF the government
of the functions of another-in the nation
or In the states. There seems to be a popu-
lar complaisance upon the subject, or an
indifference of public opinion, which BODIES
no good throughout the country. I read
IN q newspaper THIS morning, and can here
refer to no state. that the governor of a
state has decided who shall be speaker Of
the house of representatives of that state,
and it seemed to be accepted as sound gov
ernmental conduct under our system of
government 1t has occurred in other states.
1t Is a tendency to be resisted, not encour-
aged.
Tolerate Treason.
''Mr. President, the men who founded this
government and framed our Constitution
took lessons from history and experience on
the other side of the sea, and when they
created the three coordinate and independ-
ent branches of the government, assigning
to each its Jurisdiction. they created a gov
eminent which, in its divisions, was per-
feet representative or democratic govern
ment. And when the people CT any state
permit. under any pretext, those three
branches Of the government to be reduced
to two they tolerate treason to our consti-
tutional system.
The legislature of a state is not to be or.
ganized by the judiciary, nor is 1t to be or
ganized by an executive. and II the time
shall ever come-and we have seen 1t In
some states-when by passive acquiescence
the execution of the law Is practically COM
bined with the making of the law the struc-
ture in its completeness and as the fathers
made 1t Is destroyed and the distinction
between it and a monarchy Is largely obIit-
Grated"
OvercoynA hv Cos