New-York tribune., 1909-02-27
ltR R00TS MESSAGE.

Although there is a isagreement among Hnli-
ticians and newspapers as TO just where Senator
elect Root stands in regard To primary reform
there is no room for-doubt- that he favors
broadening and pOpularlzing of the method or
making nominations He believes in Organlza-
ton. as Mr.. Hughes does. but In a representative
organization one constructed, as the Court Of
Appeals said in q recent case, from the bottom
upward and not from the top downward And
this IS the only position consistent with his
character for he was long an open opponent OF
bossism in the Republican party, and it would
be doing violence to what is known Of him 10
suppose that he had suddenly become enamoured
of il now that it IS passing into decay. More
over so recently as at the last Republican State
Convention he expressed his favorable opinion
Of the direct primary system applied to legis-
Iatire nominations, on the ground that it would
tend TO promote sense of responsibility on the
part of legislators tc their constituents. 1t
should not be necessary, when what is generally
known regarding his long maintained attitude as
to the desirablity of improving party organiza-
tions is borne in mind. for him TO declare him
self any more explicitly than he did in his Al
1 my speech on Thursday night IN favor Of
reform of the parties, and his present position
as Senator-elect makes him naturally averse 10
taking part in a discussion of the details Of that
reform.
Therefore no Endorsement of the Governors
proposal was TO be expected Of him No one
knows what he thinks Of that plan for ref
erendum TO the party voters at large Of nomina-
tons made by committees taking the place of
the present conventions. No one knows whether
he regards ii as going too far or Eot far enough
TO give party management the representative
character he declares 10 be desirable; but no
'one who has read his convention speech can
doubt that he is prepared to have the state 90
Par no rO
Mr. Roots speech on Thursday night one
of warning and counsel to an audience actively
hostile TO primary reform As The Evening
Mail" of this city puts it, at Mr. Barnes's feast
he read the handwriting on the wall He told
Ills hearers what the people outside the narrow
limits of machine politics were thinking. lie
told them that Governor Hughes popular
Just because the people believed he had Jumped
o.. the politicians is to say, Office
holder who represented not the politicians but
the people lie took i broad view of the nature
of party organization and regarded the Governor
as an organization Republican. There is
process" he told them. going on in our coun-
try TO which we Republicans of our organza-
.ti0n should give heed" Its various manifesto
tions were all symptoms OF n widespread dis
satisfaction with existing party organizations.
Great numbers he said, feel that they are
mot satisfactorily represented by their party
organizations We ought to realize the fact
that this great number Of our fellow country
-"naen are dissatisfied with their representation
lin party affairs and that all power is held upon
.the condition of its fulfilling the purpose for
which It was granted.
Could it he more CONSIDERABLY put? There is
widespread public dissatisfaction with such as
you and with your methods. 1t Is TO your in
terest to know ii. For 1 have faith in Your
capacity TO meet the feeling of the great Amerl-
can people for fuller participation in the party
affairs That was the substance of Mr.. Roots
message. and we sincerely hope his hearers took
il TO heart