New-York tribune., 1905-11-25
REFORM At PRIMARIES.
1.-THE Door Leading to Freedom
from Boss Rule"

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: The Republican party IN the county of New
YORK cannot be raised from It's present low condi-
ton by a mere change In the county chairman.
Such change will be stimulative but not cura-
tive. There have been many changes within recent
years in the craftsmanship of the Republican
County Committee, but the changes in district
leadership have been few Republican district lead
ers, for years in the pay of Tammany Hail. still
hold their places and still taking their Elee-
ton Day orders from Fourteenth Street meanwhile
performing the only function demanded of them by
the Republican boss, namely. delivering delegates
when needed. The Republican county organization
is not only rotten at the top; it is rotten from top
to bottom, and the few district leaders who can
be regarded with respect only emphasize the miser
able quality of the rest I do not believe that
under our present primary system the most accom-
plshed county chairman remedy this
Yet there more than one hundred thousand en-
rolled Republicans in the county of New-York most
of whom clean and honest and devoted to the
principles of their party 1t is said that these
men are Indifferent. They are not. They have been
excluded from party councils by cut-snd-dried
primary system. They have found themselves un-
welcome In the Republican organization, for the
men who have controlled these MANY years are not
big bad men, but little bad men, aware of their in
feriority, who know that they can only control
by turning away their betters.
Improvements cannot be complete and permanent
until the Republican who cares for his party but
who will not become the instrument of any boss.
big or little is assured OF a voice in the party
councils. When he knows that his voice will be
heard he will use it.
Ballot reform alone will not accomplish this OBJ
ject To abolish the party column is to take a
step in advance, but if the bosses can make the
nominations the selfish and evil forces which lurk
behind them will not. in any case, suffer.
Let us begin with primary reform and do the
work thoroughly. Let the enrolled voters or the
party say directly who their candidates for ONCE
shall be- and who their district leader and county
committeeman shall be. The enrolment feature OF
the present primary law is excelent the rest IS
farce There should be official primary ballot
for each party containing the names of all the can
didates for given nomination. All the safeguards
of an election should be thrown about the primary
which should not be held, now, at time when
many thousands of the citizens are out OF to"h'
1t NAV be objected that the bosses would soon
learn to control the direct primary. passing tho
name Of the machine candidate along 20 tha IaltA-
full The answer is that under the direct primary
n andidate tagged with the name of boss would
be beaten from the start. Every candidate Wouia
be an anti-boss missionary, for his first eHectWe
move would be TO rid himself OF boss contamination
Let u.s. by all means. get better chairman 1or
the county committee. Let US. by all means re-
form the ballot so that each candidate shall be
voted for separately but do not let US deceive our
selves into thinking that Murphy or Odei or PAU
will languish when this is done. The door leading
to freedom from boss rule will still be closed. The
direct primary will open 1t.
JOSIAH T. NEWCOMB.
New-York. Nov. "a. 1905.