New-York tribune., 1909-02-21

dlaa[s @ nete Lgr Of William Barnes Of Albany, who
Is ne aPSgossd Of the o RfSR' e P
nares ran ahea1 9f n.1~ the was sufacient gen
orally to determine the result OF an eiec'fo" ~
Are we TO understand that the state conventions
OF the Republican party for the last fourtee. sen, -
oope have been shSTns and that the deiegates
have been ignored or made the subject OF pas's'
In his speech before the Hughes alliance the
Governor also said: , .,.o. ., Dortv
voters. 1t system which can easily be eNtehueu
AS tbe of1ciai, head of the Republican partys
state organization IT is my bounden duty 20 cur cur
the attention of the members Of our party TO any
proposition which would If adopted be injurious t Gus
the Party's interests The extension vi ,,eto IL
roment of voters and the making OF II apror Go!lP
throughout the state. as proposed by GoVeInoi
Isighes would greatly reduce the Hepuplcsh me 5t
torties In the rural districts IL is - !,
hcut now TO get out the full country vote, f0r II
several miles 70 yot. when the time could be profit
! ably spent the farm than II Is 70 eIeP Ju9t
holiday in the CITY the time could not be any more
prohtably spent. Compel the farmer 70 come III m
enroll to vote at the primaries ana "i,I ~
venture TO say that he Will neglect HIS ou'ie 0N
And as to the restrictions of the amount that
any candidate may sxPend It seems TO- me 11S' ~
rronibit man from Spending his money in
perfectly legitimate manner 10 present MS Claims
to the enrolled voters Of his party. When one
comes to close consideration OF this question of
enforcing direct primary nominations by Iega!
not be declared unconstitutional. is there not A
serious question II the Legislature has the consti-
tutional power to prescribe by what method poliil-
cal parties shall nominate their candidates for pub
lie Office? 1t is no answer to say that the iegls-
lature has passed primary law which Is In opera
toU. No is disposed to raise the Ques-
merely prevent the dishonesty and corrupution
Of DISTINGUISHING those who. holding a party faith.
party affairs. Between the convention system and
direct primaries les such issue Of dishonesty
and corruption The simple question is. Bv what
right can the Legislature prescribe the method by
which believers in political principle who are
NJ ter If n
select candidates Of their party to be presented
TO all the electors on election day.
ATTACKS DIRECT PRIMARIES
Let US ask. II We should do away with CONVEX
Posass for % p DaTg M platform 2nSRs we t6s csnd
Sas should the OF piatfoTm II the state
committee some council Of the party created . for
would there be any moral obligation on the part Of
ea ns pT an1 and on pa
such relation each other as they do TO-DAY. and
the same creative body? Let me also ask H. under
would not be prevented on election day for would ,d
candidate who had been successful at his party
system we should continue have bosses hov
Sould the people, as they have SO often , and 9 sf
SOM As matter OF fact. this plan Of making
voting for them at the primaries. requiring to be
done during m sne spmmer whsn aiSgt snnF ons
of own and the complicated and eumberso.ms me ma.
fnan nads So 'f Ppshed bs respons
would not the direct primary have a tendency tendency
iabar to leave Or 6rins into party leadership men
Gh2 having nothing else to %ncG IN bs State s
his particular time nearly every one Of the sixty
means. the best Of education ana Of the very
highest character? These men are IN politics. politics.
Il TO some PATRIOTS dgty 6ee9use uS it is to
billiards or social entertainments are to others
ana an ssss 70 mn Il should appear 70 ali citizens
70 be. not only an honorable activity but one one
ties for the Individual who thus deyotes himself
there is also as rule oI o h sopIe 20 ME
generally in a manner that would be thOroughly
Shem GPeot primsFiss or any other idea
guided solely by the exped'ency OF me moment NONE ~
uceessful solution OF great pro6Iss Of state s6;,
ucan representative form OF government which
Governor Hughes year ago declared this govern
~ The initiative or referendum. or worse yet the
oregon recall type. and besides apparently dscrirn
man. and besides apparently furnishing exceptional
opportunities 10 the agtator and the demagogue:
and besides while aiming at the destrucuVh OF
organizations and bosses It apparently Will In
ate them It is evident to those who have been
carefully studying the subject that direct primaries
making the man seek office Instead OF the office
seeking the man. that Il will destroy minority rep
the nomination OF candidate who has a minority
Of the votes ut primary; that IT would throw the
control to large centres OF population the
pcnse q scattered and small communities and that
II would make 1t impossible for one who in his
motion TO seek higher once. and, IL unsuccessful
TO return the peoples service in the place he
has satisfactorily filed.
For instance. with all respect for great Gov
ernor. how could he have been n candidate for
Governor after being candidate for Presdent7
practically eempted while he insisted upon hav-
ing his name presented 10 the Republican National
Convention at Chicago?
Chairman Woodruff read his speech, which
some ten thousand words In length. He
seemed to have little heart in his task. and
before ms was half through the diners were
the end. although the state chairman had
tried to make amends by saying that the Brook
lyn Young Republican Club always stood for
right. but there room for difference OF
opinion.
The Rev DR.. Nehemiah Boynton of the Gin
ton Avenue Congregational Church. aroused the
diners by verbally chastising the state chairman
for the attitude h1 had taken and bosses in
general who did not strive to carry out the Will
of the people rather thnn cling 10 party
advantage.
II heard" he said, that the surgeon general
Of the Republican party tonight was to perform
q surgical operation and cut out the appendix
of direct nominations But really l have seen
little blood and no appendix has been produced
Really, now. Mr.. Woodruff, did you cut 1t out?'
The chairman blushed and seemed uncomfort-
able. He left the room after DIR. Boynton was |
through, and did not hear Governor Hughes, |
who was not introduced until after IL 80 O'clock
but nearly all the diners stayed through. how |
ever.