New-York tribune., 1908-08-29
THE PRIMARIES NO TEST.

Chairman WoodruffS statement tnat the VIII
of the people of this state regarding the 'o'-
ernorship cannot be known until the primaries
are held and will be known then is not to be
accepted seriously. The present primary s!s
fem as it operates in practice is about as lnconi-
nlete and factitious an index Of public sentl-
n,ept as couId be devised. 1t is safer TO feel
public sentiment in the air, 10 gauge 1t from
the attitude of the press, 10 estimate 1t from
the actions of public meetings, such as the
state fairs recently addressed by the "o'
ernor TO Judge from the reports Oh tralheu
correspondents sent forth for the purpose Oh
ascertaining il, than TO determine 1t through
the primaries, whose opinion Mr. woodruff now
saws has such binding, force that TO attempt 70
influence the choice of candidate for "o'-
ernor would be disastrous to the party.
What Mr.. Woodruff says might be true IL the
state had direct primaries which would indeed
settle TO a numerical nicely the relatlfe
strength of various candidates with the voters.
But the primaries held in this state represent
only minority of the party sentiment CUM
paratiyely few voters enroll. ana or uose WHO
are OH the rolls only q fraction vote. Inc pest
evidence of how important the primaries are
regarded 10y the people whose VIII IL Is NOV
nronosed 10 determine by them is the fact that
the people refuse TO take them seriously eithet
neclecting TO prepare themselves TO vote at
with the strict organization voters, ana no efIott
Is made 10 get out any other kind at the pri-
marjes Thus the control of them is compafa-
tiyely simple Under such conditions the pri-
maries reflect not the Will of the people pu'
the will Of the machine. 1t IS idle Tor the leau
ers TO talk of keeping their hands OF hoN'
when a large number of delegates responsive 10
their will are already elected, and when IL Is
TOO late in other districts to organize even the
1lDH IA
any EXPRESSION other than that desired by these
same leaders Their hands not off and can
not be taken off. For months they have done
nothing in the political circles in which they
move but air their objections 10 Governor
Hughes The leaders real personal feelings
toward the Governor filtered down through me
whole party hierarchy, through captains ana
workers" freauenters of clubs and headquar-
ters 10 the mass of the controlled vote. which
ALWAYS makes up the bulk of the primary par
ticipants.
No more absurd pretence could be made than
that the voters of this state would resent the
Presidents using his influence in the selecuoh
of q candidate for Governor. There was very
noticeable sense of relief throughout the state
when II was announced that those who are
most vitality concerned in the national cam
paign would interest themselves in the situa-
ton in Fhis state TO guard against threatened
laundering The sigh of relief was almost au-
dibIe The primaries never have selected can
didates They have always been and th"F
will he this time mandate to q certain person
or 10 certain persons 10 use his or their own
best Judgment in the selection of the candl-
date When there is q contest at them 1t is not
ever who shall he the candidate but over WHO
shall have the mandate. The person who has
exercised this authority has almost lnVarlabiy
carefully consulted public opinion, but he mas
not pretended that ths signs Of II were To he
found in the primaries. He would as soon have
pretended TO find il in the moon. When MI
Hughes was nominated two ye1rs ago IT was
in response to a strong public sentiment, put
not an iota of that sentiment found expression
in the primaries. Our system is not automatic
all present intimations to the contrary not
withstanding 1t calls for wise Interpretation
of public opinion, whose signs arc 10 be found
everywhere. There is no penalty. but graft
tude for wise Interpretation. Disaster attends
unwise Interpretation, and this year will he
40 exception. To pretend that the primaries
have a significance which they have not in
vites IT, Its extent this year will be the MAX
ing of this state doubtful for the national ticket
and the giving of vitality and force to Mr.
Brvan's canvass everywhere.