New-York tribune., 1909-03-23
OPPOSITION AT SEA
WOODRUFF IT albany.
Care Used an Framing Primary Blu
Disdrms It's 4drerSdrIeS.
LEY rslsr-sph 70 II. tribune J

Albany. March 22-Appzren;ly the actual appear
Rnce Of Governor HuEhess direct primary Oil mas
FOUND the opposition 10 it, bitter ss that Is en-
stirely unorgan.zed. A. present lis aoNersarirs
seem 10 he somewhat ia bbergssteG They nave
ali the earnest desire any set of politicians S"a'a
lhaee 20 hunt the measure 90 its death. but It's
nature has taken some q their hunting po"e's
from Them. ana Just nobody seems 10 hHo"
how 10 strike the first blow al the BILL
state Chairman WOODBURY. came here tonight on
his N-av from Syracuse New York lie VIII
look into The sentiment on the direct prlhar! ST
ton look in on the New York City charter nearing
to-ulorr.,w and 60 20 the metropolis - hsn,-
So far as know. there are no concerted plaiis
Tor Opposing the Governors direct primary DIE
said Chairman Woodruff in answer l" quer'es,
fuSre there viii be- O., course organized "pposa'loi
rom the organization men but cannot ten ," ma
form that viii lake 80 far a. know. there VIII
rot hs say special meeting of the state commute
called 10 discuss that subject do not mean D. lFl
athat there viii be meeting but mat al presei''
there seems To - no necessity or Hesta aOii.'H 10
bone II any meeting were TO be held. 'he'e = "'
Souat in my mind what attitude the committees
would take. There are some Senators. l"i ~
stance who favor the Governors proposal ""'S'
istricts are strongly against IL
.EEiH the Republican organization have a plii8'e
reform biI TO ofFer opposition 70 the '5oNer""i
4 measure asked.
II seems zrohabIe that some legislators will have
bills 10 present as alternatives TO the Governor
hll The state chairman replied Il have not seen
synopsis OF if and It is practically the bill "f me
BROOKLYN Young Republican club
+ L an against that bill. against any other
+ measure which seeks 10 abolish ne coiN emu"
method Of nom mating candidates There's more or
less misunderstanding - the Governors blh anu
al forms of direct nominations hut think theie
can ne TO misunderstanding Of he convention ioeA
To my mind it's The only form OF political gov
e-nu1snt suited this great cosmopolitan state /
stand for all things in the Governors bill. or any
other which would tend safeguard the primaries
against arbitrary unfair action. snap action or
ANYTHING like fhat-the Official primary ballot Tor
instance do not favor personal registration IN
the rural counties. ! think that would initiate
greatly against getting the Republican vote
Neither Go ! favor enrolment by inspectors
! such ss the Hfnman bill proposes There Is in the
rural counties enrolment by inspectors now for
elections but this bill proposes Ia have the IN
srectors CLASSIFY the voters into Republicans and
Democrats for the purposes Of voting at the pri-
nns-Ies."
One Of the features % the Governors measure
which its sponsors believed would have in5por-
tsnt eject toHara preventing improper ~ fraudu-
lent voting primaries that very provision of
personal registration in the cities. and primary
enrolment in the rural districts.
4 Chairman Woodruff said he had heard considera-
biz desultory talk about caucuses "f lhe Republican
members 81 each house the Hinmsn-Green bill,
hut had not talked with the leaders about that
proposition. Speaker Wadsworth to-day said he
knew nothing about any pSn for caucus on the
bill He expressed the opinion that the Governor $
bills would be defeated in the Assembly
The truth Of the wHo!e affair here seems to be
thar the care and foresight with which the Gov
ernor's bill was drawn have robbed its antagonists
q Of the weapons which they hoped 70 use
against il with greatest effect. il leaves scant
ground even for an appeal to passion and one OF
the Governors lucid explanations Of 1t Is counted
sunicient by his friends dispel any notion that Il
IS party DESTROYER Thus lust the wind
has been taken Of sails Of his antagonists.
end Il probs bly, viii be days before they
can recover sufficiently begin tc lay their plans
o defeat the measure State Chairman Woodruff
tonight indicated vigorously his belief that the BIZ
soaid be killed All othe-s opposed 10 il main
tain ths. il will die TOO BIZ. they inclined
TO start it on its death Journey slowly and con
serxatiVefv