The sun., 1909-02-21
HUCBESS DIRECT PRIMARIES
syS SCHEME OUTLINED BEFORE
ROOKLYN REPUBLICANS.

siOns for Indepenuent Actfon-W0uid
Wake Enrolment Mandatory and
r,Ii Primaries Under Laws similar
10 Election Laws-weedrun objects.
Gov Hughes as tbs guest OF honor OF
,hs Young Republican Club Of Brooklyn at
the Academy OF Music in that borough
last night announced for the first time
hls idea Of what direct nominations law
should be. The Governor attacked the
present system Of selecting party oandi-
dates. made few fings at the bosses.
outlined in considerable detail the feat
ures Of method for direct nominations
which he considers suitable for adoption
in this State under present conditions and
answered the numerous objections which
have been brought forward against the
proposed changes
Republican State Chairman Timothy l..
Woodruff, who had talk with President
Roosevelt recently on the subject Of direct
nominations. opposed the changes. The
Governor and Mr. Woodruff did not enter
INTO a debate on the direct nominations
question They were merely the princi-
pal speakers at the dinner. The Governor
ohampioned the idea. Mr.. Woodruff op-
posed il The State chairman held that
a system Of direct nominations wasn't
practicable at the present time
The dinner. which was held in the large
tsnquet room, attracted the largest at
tendance in the history OF the club. The
Young Republicans have taken much
interest in the proposed legislation affect
nz the selection OF candidates. and the
club has bin OF it's own that will be pre-
sented 20 the Legislature. one that is de-
iEned to preserve party organization
Ehe achieving the main purpose Of direct
norninations Darwin r. James, Jr..
president OF the club. presided and intro
diced the Governor
After the applause which greeted ths
Governor wi hen he got to his feet had sub
sided he said
The principle Of direct nominations
Is that the members Of a party are en-
titled to choose directly the party candi-
dates for elective Offices II seeks to
make party government more represent
alive and to make more difficult the con-
Irol by bosses and cabals To safeguard
he party machine from being used for
,elnsh ends Ia essential not only to the
Welfare OF the party but under our party
system to the welfare Of the State And
10 the extent that we make II difficult
10 dominate the party for purposes OF
private advantage We make 1t diflcuit
Cor special interests TO c6ntro, the gov
ernment, The easiest way for special
interests to secure favors and to get the
lest of the laws is through treaty with
party machine that is. by dealing with
the one man or with the few men who
10 any given community have secured
such control That the voters Of party
are entitled TO choose their representa-
lives cannot be disputed Such choice
is the essential condition OF representa-
tive government. lApplauseI
There could be no doubt. the Governor
vent on to say. that the present method
Of nominating candidates by delegates
was farce.
You have In New York city, he said,
an object lesson OF political domina-
ion, notorious throughout the world,
which shows not only the possibilities
but the logical results Of our present
system"
Senator Depew was entirely correct
n saying, as he did one time in q speech
before the Amen Corner. that the real
capital Of the State was located for years
in the Amen Corner OF the old Fifth Avenue
Hotel, said Gov. Hughes; and although
the old Amen Corner has passed away
there are other hooks and recesses Of
similar power The Governor believed
that those who opposed the principle
Of real control by party voters have a
profound distrlst Of the people; that
they are the political descendants Of
the Englis obstructionists who contended
for the maintenance Of the rotten bor
ouEhs. There was no more ground TO
dlstrIst the peoples capacity to select
their party candidates than TO distrust
their ability to select their Governors.
Mayors and legislators.
Gov. Hughes presented his picture
Of the actual workings OF a well oiled
political machine in grinding out candi-
dates, OF the employment Of the black
let and the boy oott. OF the punishment
Of the insubordinate and the rewarding
Of the faithful henchmen by the all power
hl bosses. He was talking. he said,
not Of the theory OF conventions but
Of their actual workings. Pledging OF
delegates did no good. The remedy
was TO provide in simple fashion, with
proper safeguards, for giving eject to
The decision OF the party voters as to
the persons who shall represent them as
candidates
Here the Governor paused to answer
half dozen principal objections that
had been raised against the proposed
Change 1t could not be considered as an
Interference with representative govern
mer' he contended. because We now
have 'raves,y OF representation. u
vas urged that direct nominations would
involve a double election. but. said the
"overnpr, we have primary elections
Cow Tho argument had been made
That u would require the man to seek
he Office The Governor held that
certainly /, would make il less necessary
ior ~" man TO seek the boss. and he be
mNed that under the proposed system
N" DNCo would seek the worthy man. !