The Washington times., 1909-10-05
Letter of New York County
Republican Bound to
Raise Row.
POLITICIANS THINK
HE HAS THE GOODS"
Scandal of Tammany Trade" to
Hurt Cannon-History to
Be Made.
By J. C. wELLIvER.

New York politics is very likely to be
the final result OF Herbert Parsons
attack on the upstate leaders. for the
alleged deal with Tammany Hall to
save the Cannon control of the National
House.
1t is perfectly understood among poll
iticians that Parsons gave out his de-
liberate and carefully considered state
ment with the fullest understanding of
IT'S significance and its probable effects.
He is chairman of the New York county
committee He was put into that place
by Theodore Roosevelt Last year he
WAS a Hughes man at the Saratoga
convention. when every upstate leader
IN sight was out with a knife for
Hughes Hughes was nominated and
elected. and he is once more on the
track OF the upstate organization men.
For many years the upstate politics
OF New York has been controlled by
one of the ablest and shrewdest groups
OF local manipulators that can be found
in the country. Barnes at Albany. ].
sloat Fassett at Elmira, former Con-
gresham Littauer at Gloversville,
George Aldridge OF Syracuse, George
II. Malby, now a member Of Congress.
but before that for very long time
one OF the bosses Of the State senate,
Albany: John Raines, and a number of
others. have been supreme in their re-
spective bailiwicks.
Sherman Potent Member.
Vice President Sherman was a potent
member of the group in the days when
he was a member OF the lower house.,
but it is to be set down. in connection
with the Parsons revelations as 10 the
Tammany deal. that the We President
not only was not a party 10 .its-.hut d.
cidedIy disapproved Of II. He declared
10 some OF his friends in the Senate
that the boys IN the House" were go
ing altogether too far, and that il would
react against them
But II is OF the commonest knowledge
that rural New York has thus been ruled
by the PATRON system for many years:
divided into a great group Of political
baronies, as Il were. and the barons
were wont 10 come with their retafners
70 the State convention. the retainers
being the delegates. The retainers
obeyed orders. That was their entire
business. and they were always reli-
able
The barons saw their rule shaken and
their dominion threatened when Hughes
became a candidate for a second nomi-
nation. They went to the state con-
vention prepared with plenty Of votes
10 defeat him. But Roosevelt stayed
their hand. HIS orders were thar
Hughes should be renomlnated.
Might Have Defed Him.
The PATRONS might have defied
Roosevelt even-for they had the del
egates-f young Mr.. Parsons would
have gone along with them. He was
chairman OF the great delegation from
New York county, and he stood ike
a rock. They labored with him, but
he declined to see II. He was for what
Roosevelt wanted. and, anyhow, he
thought, a did Roosevelt, that the only
sane politics was to renominate the
gov Vernor. His delegation stood Loyalty
by him. and the grand dukes OF tie
provinces had to give way and allow
hughes TO be named.
All that didn't make the upstate
iuninaries feel any more kindly toward
young Mr.. Parsons, who anyhow was
suspected OF somewhat silk-stockinged
tendency about his politics with
scruples about doing some things that
the provincial politicians had always
regarded as strictly within the pro
prieties OF the game. Well. Parsons
wanted a piece OF legislation passed
istration laws and stop fraudulent reg
istration and voting. II has long been
maintained that from 10000 10 $1,000
fraudulent votes are cast in New York
elections wheneVe er they are needed.
Parsons drafted bill he thought
would stop it-and the bill was killed
at Albany by dint Of the general oppo-
sition Of the PATRONS,
Duties in Capital
Mr. Parsons was back in Washington
attending TO his duties as a politician. /
and also as one of the social favorltes
Of official circles; for few people from
the House circle are so much in demand
as the Herbert Parsonses. Mrs. Parsons
being the clever and literary daughter
Of Henry CIews with just COOLIES" OF
money on both sides OF the house, with
brains, social opportunity. and am
bitions. there isn't any conceivable rea-
son why Herbert shouldn't be sane and
regular in his politics. But at times
he undeniably isn't
Though young, he inclines to doing his
own thinking lie Is vastly better al
bossing than at being bossed. He never
talks much. but he has known for years
that New York city politics is always
played off By the upstate leaders, in
T-an,rnany's interest. when the up
staters can get something out OF Il for
themselves. Parsons manifestly has
started war against this practice
Platt was a sort OF amphibious boss:
he lived nominally upstate, actually in
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