New-York tribune., 1909-02-09
OPPOSE PARTY COLUMN
INFECT PRIMARY FORCES
WILL FIGHT PLAN.
Woodruf FaUors Such Preference
m enthusiastically Wants Ne10
York City Statistics.
rBv Telegraph to The Tribune. ]


.ol,rnn~ on the official primary ballot or prefer
- IN rosition for party nominees. such as the
-.,,1,-, Fenublican organization and clubs
- are reported to have sanctioned, will be
Esr I'D eagerly by supporters OF direct pri-
-,,,es here. is way wide Of the mark As a
-,.+ter Of fact. such proposal will be fought
1,..s-lx as striking at the very essence Of the
s.-sc. nominations system
cote Chairman Woodruff came out to-day IN
.,--o- n such preference for party nominees. If
=. street nominations system were TO be
s,,.ad Authoritative announcement can be
sc tbst The Citizens Union will fight it bit
-, Governor Hughes declined to give any
,-s,cstton Of his views on subject not specih-
II, before him when The Tribune's synopsis
:. +be rrooklyn pill was called TO his attention
!. may be pertinent to recall, though. that In
,cos the Governor vetoed an official primary
..uc+ hill introduced by Assemblyman Prem
t,ce which provided for a party column In
.bet veto the Governor said:
This bill. IN its preferential provisions for
,-,f1a+io1s BY district committees and Tor the
,s of an organization or district committee
-, - m the ballot distinctly favors those OF
CIV nartv who are in control Ine enro4eo
rnfers are not put upon an even LooCns- In
s+ead of encouraging care ana seIl-EeldnCe IN
.5-s - the rroposed form of ballot makes 1t
80 - dispense with discrimination It IS open
- fhe objections I have urged To our elecuon
t.ro+ and its adoption as feature OF plan
f nriresrv reform regard as a serious mis-
take
ARGUMENT AGAINST PARTY COLUMN
n Eamuaitt legislative representative of
tba citizens Union. said tonight that that or
esnization would be opposed to any such pro-
nossl as the party column preferential posi-
tion for party candidates
tits easy to see how the party column. where
oresnizstiou candidates could be voted with a
-s7N
cnle Of direct primaries said he 'and yet L
consider that preferential position, such as
This Rrooklvn bill is reported to create. would
ne sven more dangerous. The results would be
these. The organization candidate would head
.be group Other nominations, according to tie
hin would be put on the ticket in order of
seniority Well in states where that has
been tried, rival candidates have sat all night
outside the official door waiting for a chance to
ale nomination certificates. and scandals have
grown up. But, more than that. fake independ-
ent nominations would always be the first filed
clever politicians would see TO that il there
was prospect Of a bitter hght-so the real op-
ponent Of the bosses candidate would find his
name fifth sixth in the list Now. the inde-
PENDENT being second instead of first, wouldn't
give the organization candidate much lead. but
for the independent to be sixth. or tenth n
list. would be putting too much handicap on
him"
Exact definition of his attitude toward direct
primary nominations was made to-day by State
Chairman Woodruff in various interviews So
far as his views appear. they are those OF an
earnest seeker after light who hesitates some
what lest the light, when found. prove over
poTering for the eyes
Z never was in such doubt about anything"
sums I'D his testimony the subject. "One
man from a state where they have this system
ssys it is full of defects and works great harm;
another says il is the finest thing that ever
happened"
Incidentally the state chairman favors inves-
ugation OF the direct primary systems workings
IN other states before any legislation is adopted
here although he IS undecided whether this
should be done by a legislative commission
by anybody who happens to be personally inter
ested in the subject Speaker Wadsworth this
evening, when told that the state chairman
thought investigation advisable. said he was
opposed TO the state spending any money to
Investigate facts when information along these
Ines could be obtained simply by writing for
IL He is on record as saying he believes the
question should be met now and fought out
without any long investigation by commission.
WOODRUFF TALKS WITH GOVERNOR.
Mr. Woodruff came here this morning for
talks with legislators and politicians on direct
pr1maries and other current topics He saw
Governor Hughes by appointment, but said after
that interview that nothing political was dis
enssed and he had Just called pay his respects.
Later he talked with Lieutenant Governor
White. William Barnes. jr-, and others. At first
ne was somewhat reluctant TO define his posi-
noE IN relation the direct primary proposition.
L was remarked that he had been comforting with
leading statesmen in Washington and his visit
vas regarded with great interest that ac-
eount
Yes at washington-and Augusta" he said
with smile and a marked pause before the last
words He declined to give any indication OF the
nctions about direct primaries which he had
esthered from those conferences. but finally
began to discuss his own position on direct
prnsries. Four years ago. he said, the narrow
ness Of Hearst's defeat for Mayor Slowed him
'ns necessity of broadening party control by
seiae method, ard he began to agitate that sub
sci In Kings County. He advocated then, he
vac direct primaries. If other method as
socc could be found. but not TO the exclusion of
Sy method which might be better.
Then. two years ago." he went on the
&fsris direct primary bill introduced, and
ias Kings County committee was In Europe
q the time-adopted resolutions favoring direct
Hirares. But I said that If we had direct pri-
naTies We should have a mandatory system. and
ne Governor advocated permissive systeme
Nss criticised then and arrayed as anti Hughes
Because advocated in speeches just what the
sosernor is advocating now. 1 not for di-
Iea primary nominations, per sc. then nor
now neither am ] against them. But ! say. If
We have direct primaries should have them
mandatory both parties
Chairman Woodruff saie that the diversity of
testimony regarding the working of the system
= Western states. especially the word of The
@aiSa1kee Sentinel that the direct primaries