The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-01-22

in the administering of the affairs of
New York state at Albany has taken
place since the Inauguration of
Charles E. Hughes as governor, as
compared with the regime which pre-
vailed when Thomas c. Plat dictated
legislation from an express COM
pany's Office in this city; or as COM
pared with that order of things ex-
listing when the governorship and the
Craftsmanship of the state republican
committee was vested in one man
Benjamine B. Odell When Mr.. Platt
was the power, the organization re-
ceived its orders from this city as
to what legislation should pass and
what should not Now and again a
rash and generally an inexperienced
member of the legislature let the no.
ton that he was sent to Albany to
legislate in the interests of the public
to lead him from the straight path of
organization control and he intro
duced something "inimical to the
party's interest" When he returned
to his constituents he found that the
sinews of war had been distributed to
keep him at home for ever afterwards.
That was the Plat plan. Odell made
so many deals, got entangled in them
so badly as to bring down the big
stick at Washington on his head, and
since then has become an on-looker.
Now comes Governor Hughes who
don't even bother to supervise the
committee appointments, who con-
suits none of the party powers as to
his message, who positively declines
to have anything to do with the petty
cliques which have controlled legis-
lation and torn the party asunder in
the past few years. And to add fur
ther CONSERVATION to the establishment
of the cliques he announces that if
. he gets into trouble with the legis-
lators he will appeal to the people
Such condition of affairs is stagger-
ing to the men who have always taken
orders and issued them when they get
the organization to father them. 1t
is unheard Of. However, none has
yet arisen to put the governors threat
to a test. The legislators appear to
have wholesome respect for the at
mosphere of reserve and assurance
which prevails in the governors office.
They are trying to accommodate
themselves to the notion of a COVER
nor who does the states business and
confers with party leaders in the pub
lie executive chamber instead of a
back room, and who cannot be ap-
preached by any back stair tactics.
The days when the fate of legislation
depended upon the result of poker
game seem to have passed with the
house Of mirth. Thus far the COVER
nor and the legislature have no trou-
BILE but prophets declare that the clash
between the new governor and ring
tactics is bound to come and that when
it does the erstwhle insurance inves-
tigator will have the people OF the
state at his back and the organization
which opposes him will have TO &C
down.
Ccincident with this new condition
in the republican party has been the
ascendency of the star of Murphy the
Tammany leader. With fight on his
hands to retain control of his own
bailiwick which would keep most men
pretty busy Murphy has found time to
mix so successfully in state politics
that it is now acknowledged that he
is the real leader of the democratic
party in the state. Never in his
palmest days did Richard Croker
have anything like the influence in
the state that Murphy now commands.
While Murphy was at the Tammny
helm there always was friction be-
tween Tammany politicians and the
upstate democratic leaders. Through
his alliance with Hearst Murphy was
able practically to control the last
democratic state convention and he is
now engaged in directing the distribu-
ton of the spells which came as Il
result Of the partial success of the
fusion ticket. The significance of this
in national politics is unmistakable
and may easily lead to the delivery of