New-York tribune., 1909-02-17
MAY SHIFT TO HUGHES
LEGISLATORS SAID TO BE
WATERING.
albany Hears of Slight but Distinct
Tendency Regarding Direct
Nominations Bill.
rRv Telegraph to The Tribune. ]


Albany, Feb. 16--Conferences this afternoon
! and tonight, attended by various legislators
and citizens interested in the drafting of direct
| primary legislation, have revealed that, instead
| Of agreement in the details Of the so-called
| Brooklyn bill, there is serious difference OF
| opinion among the Brooklynites on many impor-
tant matters. Also there is much uncertainty
among upstate TO the proper fashion IN
which to apply the direct primary principle to
| rural constituency.
Concident with this there come TO light
| here a slight but distinct tendency the part
| Of several prominent legislators and politicians
| to swing around the Governors side of this
| controversy. If Governor Hughes in his speech
| az Brooklyn on Saturday night gives any tndi-
cadion OF willing ness to consider favoraoy a bill
recognizing party committees if only In the
same category formal group OF other citi-
zens. it seems probable that there viii be a
shift OF sentiment surprising to irreconcilables
of the Barnes and Wadsworth type.
some people here who are in rather close
touch with the Governor are limiting that some
thing of that sort is likely TO happen How
far the differences among the Brooklyn men
which came TO light to-day likely TO inter
fers with the drafting OF success Of the direct
primary bill is a large question
When these conferences OF Brooklyn men and
upstate legislators began. it was generally re-
members who were taking the lead in the affair
were acting with the knowledge and approval of
q representative Of the Kings County Repubi-
can organization. AS a matter OF fact they
understood an agreement had been reached. but
now the Kings County men are declining to take
any part in conferences. or even to state their
nosftfon on some of the questions at issue
Hughes men hera say that this is a more or
less studied attempt to evade any response
tl,a Of q
bv inference. might bind the organization later
Ia support it, On the other hand, various quail
iheations and concessions demanded by these
Republican organization men had been made by
the Young Republican Club representatives to
reach their desired agreement They cannot
see WHY if those features are embodied in the
bill finally. it should not get the Kings County
support
CONTINUATION OF OTHER MEETINGS.
At to-dav's conferences, which were continu-
ations of other conferences were Darwin R.
James. representing the Young Republican Club
Of Brooklvn; Senator Travis and Assemblyman
Creen who handled last years direct nomina-
lions bill; Senators Hnman and Davenport, rec
ognized as strong Hughes men; Senator New
comb. of New York. who has declared for di-
rect primaries, and Assemblymen Allen, Of
Chautauqua. and Hamn, of Wayne. Senators
Rose of orange. and Hamilton. of Chautauqua,
ba,,a attended some of these conferences.
BEFORE these men is the question of drafting
q practical bill which shall supplant the existing
urinary system and place control of nomina-
lions to office in the hands of voters They have
raad essentially on the main features of the
,a.sure that a committee shall be nominated
directly in each political unit which shall put
forth a nomination for ratification at future
primaries. in competition with any other nomi-
of cit ale
that there shall be primary day for the en-
tire state. probably the fifth Tuesday prior to
Election Day. also that there shall be thrown
around the primaries all inc saIegu uaruS no" put
around regular elections
,r,a labor of drafting this measure. the mere
,bvsical work will prevent its being ready for
introduction for many days. This bill will have
-. i+s basis the revised election law enacted by
.to legislature a few days ago, in which the
,r,arv law was shifted ana changed in many
or,icuIars The direct primary law will be
volume in itself. On the sections governing
oordi+ions in cities where there is personal reg
tstration os voters the men working in this con-
Terce are pretty we'll agreed But the up
.+a ocmbers where questions arise of applying
+1a direct nomination principles To wide areas
Of sparsely settled country. are considerably at
,,oriance in their ideas and these notions must
,,a reconcfled and put to the test OF practica-
,,i,i+z- before they get into the bill One of the
tie@9st of these problems is whether there shall
he merely an enrolment of rural voters or per-
sonaI registration A problem of general in
.arest Is what scale of repres entation shall be
aIlo,ved IN the nominating committees to pre-
vent the outvoting of rural districts by cities.
These features as they are being discussed
among anti-Hughes men here, seem to appear
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