New-York tribune., 1909-04-10
TIE GoTERNOR'8 DEFEAT.

Ho one else seems to he taking the Gov
err,ors defeat in the Legislature on thursday :"
calmly as the Governor himself. His oppo-
nen+s are elated over their temporary ad'ah-
ta:.e Some c. his admirers are talking WlIdN
about the states rising now as one man huC
the Governor is quietly arguing the case for BIS
liH before the people as = noihihg hi'd nap
pened. he IS not rcsoTtng 10 Iersoha'ide" ~
trying 70 ,lav upon his Eearers' passions. tie
has only just begun TO fight and 'hetelo'e
he can afford to regard with little concern So
hacks that are inevitable !n the beginning. he
will cave to win the voters before the Legs
l9tura Yields. and the voters could hardly ne
won to novel project by Two or 'ht's
sreech.,s in the course of as many weeks
II = plain that the Governor has not arrayed
the people on his side. az least 20 any Su'h ca
:eat shat the legislators have reason 20 rear
.lel. displeasura The public IS interested N
his primary plan. nut Unro1yihc"d. - '''7
not made up its mind Il symnathlzes WIN
the Governor. bur reserves its defSlon- y G4i-
forent attitude from this could hardly have
been expected IL regard 10 bill that was IN
rroduced late in the session and proved com
r,Ie-s s1,rprise when il was finally presented
F;efora the terms of his bill were known con
siderable feeling for direct primaries had been
evoked which might easily have been converted
bv = man of the Governors capacity for popu-
lar leadership into widespread demand Tor
them Voters understood or at least thought
thev understood, direct primaries But theE
id not understand what the Governor pro-
posed. and when they came in some degree ."
understand II they did not know how il would
work Direct primaries had become ramiIiar
m half the states Of the Union. but Governor
Hughes proposed a plan that had never even
heen tried. and the voter required time to com
prehend it. consider II and make up his mind
reca riding il That requirement has given the
onponents of Mr. Hughes their opportunity.
The Governor is so good a Judge of the public
ternper that We feel sure he must nave per
,oi,-a7 and deliberately sacrificed the advantage
that was once clearly within mis- grasp IN
forcing the fight for primary reform II he
had had anything of the demagogue III ms
nature. he would have made the most OF the
feeling for undiluted direct nominations that
was prevalent two months ago. But, not belhS
satisfied that the direct plan was an entire
success. he rejected the existing sentiment and
undertook the laborious task of explaining
novel system, interesting the voter in It and
teaching him that it was right. His veto OF
the 2-cent fare bill went no more counter To
Z powerful current in this country than did his
course regarding direct nominations To the
country which has been acting on the theory
that political machinery must he emina ed.
Governor Hughes says: But you uoh SuS-
.ceel in getting rid of the machinery, and you
cant Political machinery is necessary. Let
us recognize that fact in the laws we make,
and at the same time give the people the
chance to protect themselves against the abuse
''of such machinery" His influence. as always,
is conservative His example will be check
upon the thoughtless adoption of direct pri-
maries as q cure-all. But, protesting against
the adoption of a law simply because the other
states are doing it he has 70 justify his own
recommendations to the public mind This VIII
take time.
The Legislature gains nothing by its tempo
rarv trlumph. and Mr. Hughes would gain
nothing by an attempt to jam his bill through
the legislature II was a novelty rs recently
as March 10 He viii have to wait, and can
afford to wait, until the slow process Of public
assimilation has been completed. Therefore
we expect 30 see those persons disappointed
who hope for the excitement Of special ses-
sion on this question.