New-York tribune., 1908-09-03
DIR. BENNEIpS DISTRICT.
Manu- TOters U1U Haze No Chance
to Come Ont for Hughes at Primary.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: / have read with interest your recent aTti-
Gle relative TO the vote which is be taken at the
Republican primary in the 18th Assembly District
on Tuesday next.
If you will pardon me for saying So do not
think that you have correct idea of the purpose
of the vote 1t taken to test the sentiment
of the district There 5.063 enrolled Democrats
60i Independence Leaguers 11l3 unenroiied' pc
sides the S792 enrolled Republicans Under the
urinary law only the enrolled Republicans can
participate in the Republican primaries to De held
september s. Each of these will receive a
notice of which the following is a copy, except
for the blanks:
REPUBLICAN ORGANIZATION.
10Th Assembly District.
Headquarters. 36S West 11Ith street
Dear The OFFICIAL prmagg ggroied t1ks5 f5sGe fRepabesn TTsT
YOU entitled TO vote Pohs open p III ~
z; P5oITi m; rIace ce..... shop. No.-...... street
s0 npT5ortmnity will be given for direct vote
for f91,, or asSS So are urged to take part in this
prinary Respectfully yours ,..u,.t,
william S. BENNET.
Executive Member
A. the noIling place each enrolled Republican will
find two ballots one containing Governor Hughes's
rs,,c and one not BY common consent. If a ma
ioritv of the voted are those containing Gov
ernor Hughes's name the SIN delegates from the
18th Assembly District will be instructed to vote
for him. If they do not our delegates Will be IN
etru,ted not to vote for his denomination. Which
ever way the majority is the enrolled Republicans
of the district who elect the delegates Will nave
ipst rcted them as their vote. Therefore Whlle
/ there will not he any test by this vote OF the
,isbes of the Democrats. Independence Leaguers
and unenrolled. the direction OF the enrolled Re
| nuhIicans to the delegates, for whom they, and
tbev alone are responsible, will be had.
While ordinarily the primaries are used simply
for the purpose of determining party control therc
( j. no reason why they cannot be used in the way
they are being used in the 18th and 5th. 1t is
unite true that ordinarily in districts where there
is no contest there not large participation OF
enrolled Republicans but that does not at all IN
dicate that enrolled Republicans would not partiei-
pate if there 10 be decided by their Vots
It is nv belief and practice that the way To build
up Republican organizati m is TO have as many
/ Republicans as possible in the organization, and L
know of no better way of doing it than to give
each enrolled Republican chance to express his
( Individual opinion in a way that will count on an
/ issue or candidacy clearly defined and thoroughly
/ understood. WILLIAM = Bf-NNt'l'
| House of Representatives. Washington. Sept >
1905
| What Mr. Bennett says might have weight If
! the plan outlined did not have all the disad-
| vantages of a direct primary and none Of its
| advantages so far Governor Hughes'S can
didacy is concerned. If such plan had been
in prospect before enrolment hundreds of Re
/ publicans might have qualified themselves 10
vote. whereas they content with the as
/ sumption that leaders would as usual try to re-
| spond to the sentiment of the whole party, not
| seek instruction in what is virtually a snap
vote of a small part of it. for only fraction
of the party is enrolled and there is no time
for even the Hughes part of that to organize
| as against the carefully consolidated body OK
! anti Hughes organization men.l