The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-27
REORGANIZATION
Nrw YORK REPUBLICANs TO MAKE
 CHANGES. #
The situation Has Changed in . Rad- tcal Way During the Past Week. Gsovermor Hughes Will Be
 Endorsed.

Albany, N. r., Jan. 26-Possible re- organiza ton of the Republican state
 Committee--more particularly as to the
 Chairmanship of the Committee and the
 personnel of the Big Four" delegates
 at large. from this State to the Repub-
 lican National Convention to pc held
 in Chicago on June 16, next, arc the matters of chief concern now among
 the politicians in and about the Legfs-
 Iature These questions center in the
 preliminary State convention to be held
 probably in April and add interest to
 the preparations for the preliminary
 election which will be held in March
 for the selection of delegates.
 s The situation has changed in rad
 teal way during the past week. Seldom
 within seven days have occurred two.
 events of importance. so fundamental as
 the two which the shift in the political
 situation Is almost entirely due. Both
 were unexpected. One was the accept
 ance by Governor Hughes for all prac-
 tical purposes, of the candidacy for the
 Republican Presidential nomination;
 the other closely following, was the
 letter of Secretary Taft to Chairman
 Parsons. of the Republican, General
 Committee of New York County, asking
 his friends n0t to oppose endorsement
 of Governor Hughes by the Republicans
 of New York State. The declaration
 of the Governor was accepted by most
 of the Republican leaders as leaving
 the party no option In the matter; the letter of Secretary Taft swept away
 whatever remained of opposition to the Hughes candidacy, so far as this State is concerned. Chairman Parsons, who hitherto had been regarded as virtually committed to Secretary Taft, at once declared himself for Hughes, and there seems to be no room for doubt that at tho meeting of the New York County Committee on Wednesday. the rekolutIon for the endorsement of Governor Hughes. on which the conn mittee twice postponed action, will be adopted without question.
 F An interesting side Issue Is the ques- ton of the attitude even of the contin- ned existence of the Hughes State League, of which Ex-Senator Edgar T. Brackett, of Saratoga Is the Presi- dent. Senator Bracket declares that the League is now more necessary than before, insinuating that the Hughes boom" is in greater danger than ever and "its enemies have come on board that ship only to scuttle 1t"
 Ex-Governor Frank s. Black. of AL bany, is mentioned first as represent ing the Hughes interest in the delega- tion at large. Black IS the man Wno President Roosevelt at the 1904 convention and the advocates of Hughes generally want him to perform a like service for the governor. Gov ernor Black is generally regarded as to the Hughes movement though he has not said so publicly He and Senator Bracket had a conference late last week. presumably on this sub ject 1t was followed immediately by rumors that the Hughes league would work for the selection of Governor Black as one of the delegates at large with the special interest of having him place the governors name before the national convention.
 As for the republican state com mittee the situation has not yet de- voloped sufficiently to justify fore' cast. There has been much gossip about a possible chance of the chair now occupied by ex-Lieuten- ant Governor Timothy L. Woodruff, of Brooklyn. The name most frequently mentioned in this connection Is that of state committeeman Wm. Barnes, Jr.. of Alabny. But 1t is not certain that there will be any change. One of the factors contributing to the talk Of new chairman was the impression. widely prevalent. that the development of affairs was rapidly accruing to the political benefit of ex-Governor B. B. O'Dell, IT,, and tending to restore the prestige which he lost in his over whelming defeat in the assembly speakership battle of two years ago. The abandonment during the past week of the conflict over the endorsement of Governor Hughes has dispellad much of the fear of a destructive factfonal warfare within the republican party and it is a matter largely of opinion whether the opponents of Mir. o'Dell have forestalied at least for the pres- ent his return to important political in- fuence.