New-York tribune., 1909-10-03
PARSONS CHARGES DEAL
crYS T.fMNANY HELPED
SPEAKER CANNON.
" Return Upstate Republicans
4dcd Democrats 10 Nil Reform
Legislation at .4LbGny.

A.. agreement between some upstate Repub-
leaders ana Democratic Congressman TO
- s,sakcr Cannon and kin legislation at Al
=, Vas faily charged by President Parsons
:. Emo Republican County Committee yesterday.
g,. eject Of this deal he said was 10 get the
mort Of the Congressman from this city for
- house rules programme of the Speaker. on
=. otter hand. the Republican parties TO the
,naci ioned the Democrats in Albany and
ss.sted the amendments TO the registration
- ss well os other important measures.
ar Parsons would not deny knowledge that
.,,- considerations were given by the upstate
,s.ss-s interested in the agreement but refused
- more definite. IT was learned from man
.,,rizant Of the facts that the agreement in
,,ssa the defeat of the new charter, the defeat
- ,be amendment TO the public service law
,,.,irg telephone and telegraph companies un-
az the jurisdiction Of the commission. and gen
al opposition TO the legislative programme of
governor Hughes
The charge OF President Parsons was made in
,o,Dection with statement regarding the plans
beng made 10 prevent corrupt election prac-
,ies BY Tammany Hall at the coming election.
We know that Tammany Hall is planning
srsuds" said Mr.. Parsons. In the last session
n, the legislature We sought legislation to per-
feet the signature and other registration laws.
Il was defeated through a combination OF Tam
many men with some upstate Republicans. We
discovered that il was part of the deal entered
into 10 get support from Tsmmany for Speaker
cannon and his rules in the House of Repre-
sertstiyes No information OF the deal was
given 10 New York City Republicans. either in
Albany or Washington
No amount of urging could persuade Mr.. Par
sons TO give amy OF the details of the combina-
Z h. al fbr4a I 4 NJ
shink il advisable at this time"
WHEN WOODRUFF FOUND IT OUT.
STATE Chairman Woodruff knew nothing about
she deal MI Parsons said until he ran up
against a stone wan in trying TO get the regis
trstion amendments through the Legislature.
number Of names Of those who might have
been interested in arranging the combination
verc mentioned TO President Parsons. but he
rernsined uon-committal You are not at lib
srtv 10 draw any inferences as to who the men
aere.~ d. declared, from anything that l may
tsy or may not ssy."
Mr. Parsons said he had been in possession Of
EH the faots Of the transaction since last spring
and had mentioned them TO a number of his
political associates.
The bills which were defeated al Albany were
klcvn - the Agnew- Ward bills. introduced in
Ie Assembly by Assemblyman Artemas Ward
- them provided that nrst voters must give a
complete history OF themselves. it has been
Tic practice OF loaters TO be registered as hrst
roters making it hard 10 learn anything about
them Another bill provided that the registra-
iiou books should be in the custody Of the police
NhoE not actually in use.
The practice now is TO leave them in the
ilgistration places. where they are in danger of
being tampered with. There were several minor
hl's Nearly all Of them passed the Assembly.
but struck q snag in the Senate, where they
vere buried in committee Those who were in
serested in passing the bills did not discover
ehy they were blocked until it too late to
60 anything.
4 person who is said 10 have had hand in
sle deal told q friend some time ago that it had
been arranged ia a hotel in this city and that
McCarren and Charles Z. Murphy met repre-
Eeutstives of the Republican organization from
Upstate when il was agreed that the reform
legislation should be blocked, if enough Demo-
Catc votes in the House we're delivered tC
Speaker Cannon.
Repr, So ltative Bennett, who is now managing
The campaign Of Dir. Barnard, Republican nom
inee FOR Mayor said he had heard details Of the
combination, but did not possess enough evil
tenoe 10 convict any one before jury
MURPHY SMILES AND FoRGETs.
Charles +. Murphy smiled bIandIy when Presi-
Gent Parsons's charges were placed before him
He professed al first not 10 remember anything
about lie incident Of the Democratic Congress
men from this city supporting Speaker Cannon
n the rules fight. When il Was recalled to him
he said he never heard any Of the COngressmer
'1Dsin Why they voted as they did but he
thought they had made explanations at the
tine
In spite of the fact that the defeat OF the reg
inration law amendments viii not make il as
easy a. il Otherwise would have been TO pre-
vent Tsmmsny frauds President Parsons de-
osTed that such practices would be kept down
% the minimum this fail
We Viii show no quarter to s'iy hoater Ol
taf man higher up." 10 said. We VIII prose
ere them 10 tlle limit The most thorough
Nepsrstiors that ever were made TO prevent
legsl registration lave been made this year
iF tho FIRST time 4 comprehensive and deter
mined effort viu be made to keep of the regis
'y is' the names Of men long dead or long re-
moved from the district.
The fraudulent vote in this county used q
estimated az 10000 Actually it VAS 5000
ne signature law that our organization got th'
Nsslatlro 10 pass a year ago last winter cut
w great deal o. this fraud last fall. We pur-
''se 10 cat out The remainder this year"
ar Parsons said that in some Of the district:
t percentage Of fraudulent registration
eAea as high % Last year, lie added
~f Attorney Generals office was Democratic
1isympatheuc This year Deputy Attorney
-efal Prentice has declared that lis Office
- 4eaVe uO stone untllrued 10 utInisL frauds o.