New-York tribune., 1909-02-23
FLAW IN HUGHES PLAN
Points ont Hoe one Fote Might
Decide State Ticket.

PRO, kIzr member OF the Republican State
Committee in discussing the Governor piai' 10
a direct nominations bill said YESTERDAY lhat uiiuel
the proposed rev law ii would be possible loi one
ma, IN . state committee OF thiTty-seven 1" decide
the control Of the committee and dictate the hohl-
nations This state committeeman Is a l'''L
man skilled in election law. but is typical ma
chine politician and looks at the saoJetl I'''' ''''
point OF view. He said:
For obvious reasons do not care to Sho" my
hand on this question. don't take mach S'oCN -"
the Governors plan as outlined II Ms spe'~
Saturday night because ! think 1t would ihcreaSN
tho cost Of elections by multiplying the machinery
without producing any betterment In condltlohs.
IF the duty OF naming a state ticket deNoi'Fs
Upon tho state committee. can see no" II "V'tu
Inevitably now and then. reach point where haIf
a dozen men. and in rare Instances perhaps one
mar, would turn the scale way or the other'
fix control OF the committee and name the
entire ticket.
members one for each Congress district Jhner
tho ,7rorose.I new law this committee As well sald
in The Tribune's editorial to-day, becomes i"e
party's nominating convention. or hoh'I'"'is
committee It would he essentially a party CON
ycntion but il would number only thIrty-SeNeh aS
against one thousand or thereabouts under the eH-
istinR basis Of representation. 1t makes niue uli-
ference what the name Of the nominating h"uS -
The body that names the candidates Will De essen
TALLY the party convention, WhetheF II - us w
little in numbers
Now let's sec now the business would work
out Say it IS next year. and Governor Hughes IS
not a candidate for reelection. Assume mat ''c
candidates are Lieutenant Governor Nhlte, Spe'iN'I
Wadsworth Job +. Hedges and eX-LIeutenant GOV
arnor RrUre All these men have their friends
and admirers. For the purposes OF hustTaioH' say
that White had 10 votes in the state commute
Wadsworth 10 and the remainder were cI'lfileu "S
both Bruce and Hedges. BY the time me state
,r-,,,,i--ae met "a fix the slate the newspapers
wouli have learned the facts az far "a possible
and by careful canvass they would be able 70 tell
how the canvass stood and whethtr a dark morse
rad a chance
Then the committee would get together IN eN-
ecutive session and on the rocalI, assuming THAI
none Of the candidates withdrew, White "ou'"
have Is. Wadsworth Is. Hedges and Bruce 3, win
one man doubtfll. ON the second rolcall the
doubtful man. for instance, would be aoIe 10 pro-
pose 10 the friends Of Wadsworth that the four
necessary votes Wo4II be delivered if ne could be
permitted 10 name the Attorney General ana ION
trorer. The next ballot would see a quick chahSe
In the slate. with dark horses for the w"
places commanding large amount OF party pat
ronaEe. and WadSworth would pull through by one
vote bv getting either tho Bruce or The Hedges
votes plus the vote Of the fellow who was unc"m-
mitted from the start.
Nov. his may seem like hit ~ fancy Z" the
ardent advocate Of the Governors scheme. but l
undertake TO say that it is entirely likely, and
would he likely 90 take place at an early date. IN
fact the control Of the state committee was d@e1-
mined by vote three wears ago The meeting
took place at The Fifth Avenue Hotel. with Chair
man Woodruff presiding The question up was the
designation Of temporary chairman "f The state
convention. The Woodruff wanted Judge
Bruce. and placed him in nomination odeH oh
jected to the naming Of Bruce At that particular
time Tho rolIcaU gave the Woodruff mon a vic
tory by vote. Then Jacob :. Livingston at
ne solicitation Of the friends Of Mr EdP switched
and voted against 8rGce thus defeating the Bruce
motion and giving control Of the committee 10 the
Odeu men. II it could happen over the designate
oc a. temporary chairman. why could II not happen
over the naming OF a slate