New-York tribune., 1908-08-31
%. MlIzRZEZL TALUE.

The defect with the plan of Messrs. Prentice
and Bennett to test the Hughes sentiment oy
allowing the enrolled voters or their dlsulcts
TO indicate at the coming primaries thelr seI-
fiment upon the denomination question is tnat
such vote is likely to show not the feeilhg Oh
the people. but that of minority. even OF the
enrolled Republicans. The results may or may
not be significant. but there is danger that an
attempt will be made to treat them as possess
ing a significance which they have aot
What Interpretation is to be put upon them
will depend upon circumstances. The enrol
meut in both districts is considerably smaller
than the regular Republican vote In them, SO
that If every enrolled voter participated In the
primaries the result would afford no test of the
feeling of the less active members or the he
publican party. among whom the demand lor
Governor Hughes is probably strong. But the
usual result of a primary election is by no
means so informing and conclusive as fhat, Tor
generally only about one-third of the enrolled
voters take the trouble TO appear at the polls
and vote. The consequence is that the primary
usually records the views of about one Repub-
licap in every four: nor is the result significant
under the laws of probability, for the primary
voters are not typical of the Republicans as a
whole Usually those who participate are the
organization, its friends and more or less active
srpporters If no more Republicans attend the
coming primaries in the 18th and 25th districts
than commonly do the results VIII Indicate
nothing more than the sentiments OF the Or
ganization toward Mr. Enthusiastically pretty
well known-while the opinion of 10 per cent
of the party in the district will be unexpresSed
Primaries in this state have never determined
great questions of party policy. Ike the re-
nomination of the Governor. but have settled
simply the control of the organization. The
nod fhnvvH n
that purpose and cannot be made to do SO
effectively upon moments notice. When such
questions have been injected into primaries they
have always been complicated with a dispute
over organization control and subordinated 10
the personal issues Of such a contest When
the enrolled voter takes part in them he does
so not to settle question of policy. but TO rally
to the support of the local machine And it
will be in this spirit that the habitual primary
voter is likely to approach the Hughes question:
notwithstanding the scrupulons fmpartiality
with which we believe Messrs. Bennett and
Prentice will strive TO get a free vote. He I'M
derstands perfectly what the real attitude or
many of the leaders is toward the Governor.
He has listened for two years TO talk about the
Governors hostility to the interests of the or
ganization The political clubs and district
headquarters have been full of 1t. So, however
desirous these leaders may he TO secure an un-
biassed expression of public opinion, they cannot
obtain IL from the habitual primary voters or
from any section of the public in which the Or
ganization element predomnates.
If the usual vote comes out at the primaries
and is against Mr. Hughes. it will mean nothing
more than that the minority of the party which
is subject to organization Influences and which
has listened faithfully to the attacks upon him
is against him. The great bulk of the party
upon whom reliance will have TO be placed for
the votes in November will be unrepresented
And il Will be the height of absurdity to treat
as indicative of the sentiment Of the whole city
of New York the votes of a few hundred Or
ganization men in two Assembly districts. On
the other hand. -hough the vote should be
small if It should favor Mr.. Hughes, it would
mean that be was strong even with the rank
and file of the organization, and that would be
significant of the complete failure Of the CAM
paign against him.